Psychiatric pharmaceuticals in the environment

Non-targeted identification of tianeptine photodegradation products in water samples by UHPLC-QTOF MS/MS

This study aims the characterization of several tianeptine transformation products in ultrapure water by simulated sunlight irradiation. Tianeptine was completely degraded after 106 h of exposition following pseudo-first-order kinetics (half-life time = 12.0 ± 2.4 h). Furthermore, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry method was developed and fully validated taking into account different method performance parameters for the quantification of tianeptine in river water up to a concentration of 400 pg L-1. Following a non-targeted approach based on mass data-independent acquisition, eight different transformation products not previously reported in the literature were identified and accordingly elucidated, proposing a photodegradation mechanism based on the accurate tandem mass spectrometry information acquired. Irradiation experiments were replicated for a tianeptine solution prepared in a blank river water sample, resulting in the formation of the same transformation products and similar degradation kinetics. In addition, a toxicity assessment of the photoproducts was performed by in silico method, being generally all TPs of comparable toxicity to the precursor except for TP1, and showing a similar persistence in the environment except for TP2 and TP6, while TP4 was the only TP predicted as mutagenic. The developed method was applied for the analysis of four river water samples.

Benzodiazepine Interference with Fertility and Embryo Development: A Preliminary Survey in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus

Psychotropic drugs and benzodiazepines are nowadays among the primary substances of abuse. This results in a large and constant release into aquatic environments where they have potentially harmful effects on non-target organisms and, eventually, human health. In the last decades, evidence has been collected on the possible interference of benzodiazepines with reproductive processes, but data are few and incomplete. In this study, the possible negative influence of delorazepam on fertilization and embryo development has been tested in Paracentrotus lividus, a key model organism in studies of reproduction and embryonic development. Sperm, eggs, or fertilized eggs have been exposed to delorazepam at three concentrations: 1 μg/L (environmentally realistic), 5 μg/L, and 10 μg/L. Results indicate that delorazepam reduces the fertilizing capacity of male and female gametes and interferes with fertilization and embryo development. Exposure causes anatomical anomalies in plutei, accelerates/delays development, and alters the presence and distribution of glycoconjugates such as N-Acetyl-glucosamine, α-linked fucose, and α-linked mannose in both morulae and plutei. These results should attract attention to the reproductive fitness of aquatic species exposed to benzodiazepines and pave the way for further investigation of the effects they may exert on human fertility. The presence of benzodiazepines in the aquatic environment raises concerns about the reproductive well-being of aquatic species. Additionally, it prompts worries regarding potential impacts on human fertility due to the excessive use of anxiolytics.

Eco-friendly electrochemical sensor for determination of conscious sedating drug "midazolam'' based on Au-NPs@Silica modified carbon paste electrode

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are a group of drugs prescribed for their sedating effect. Their misuse and addictive properties stipulate different authorities for developing simple, fast and accurate analytical methods for instantaneous detection. Differential pulse voltammetric technique (DPV) was utilized for the selective assay of midazolam hydrochloride (MDZ) in the pure, parenteral dosage forms and plasma samples. A chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) was implemented during the study. The method depended on the electroreduction of MDZ on the surface of the electrode over a potential range of 0.0 V to -1.6 V. The electrode was fabricated using silica nanoparticles (Si-NPs) which were incorporated into the composition of the CPE and used to enhance the electrode performance. Then, to enhance the sensitivity of the method, a chronoamperometric modification step was applied for depositing gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) on the carbon paste electrode surface. Modification with Au-NPs showed a higher reduction current peak for MDZ with well-defined peaks. Various parameters such as pH of the media and measurements scan rate were investigated and optimized to enhance the sensor sensitivity. The sensor showed a dynamic linear response over a concentration range of 4.0 × 10-7 M to 2.9 × 10-4 M of MDZ with a LOD of 2.24 × 10-8 M using 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 5.6). The sensor was validated in accordance with the ICH guidelines regarding accuracy, precision and specificity for the selective assay of MDZ in the presence of excipients. A greenness evaluation was performed using three different assessment tools, namely, the "Green Analytical Procedure Index" (GAPI), the "Analytical Greenness metric" (AGREE) and the "Whiteness Analytical Chemistry tool" (WAC) using the RGB12 model.

Benzodiazepine Delorazepam Induces Locomotory Hyperactivity and Alterations in Pedal Mucus Texture in the Freshwater Gastropod Planorbarius corneus

Benzodiazepines, psychotropic drugs, are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment due to over-consumption and inefficient removal by sewage treatment plants. Bioaccumulation with consequent behavioral and physiological effects has been reported in many aquatic species. However, the responses are species-specific and still poorly understood. To improve the knowledge, we exposed the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus to 1, 5, or 10 µg/L of delorazepam, the most widely consumed benzodiazepine in Italy. Conventional behavioral tests were used to assess the effects on locomotor and feeding behavior. Histological and biochemical analyses were also performed to detect possible changes in the structure and composition of the foot mucus and glands. The results show a paradoxical response with reduced feeding activity and locomotor hyperactivity. Pedal mucus was altered in texture but not in composition, becoming particularly rich in fibrous collagen-like material, and a significant change in the protein composition was highlighted in the foot. In conclusion, exposure to delorazepam induces disinhibited behavior in Planorbarius corneus, potentially increasing the risk of predation, and an increase in mucus protein production, which, together with reduced feeding activity, would severely compromise energy resources.

Water contamination by delorazepam induces epigenetic defects in the embryos of the clawed frog Xenopus laevis

Delorazepam, a derivative of diazepam, is a psychotropic drug belonging to the benzodiazepine class. Used as a nervous-system inhibitor, it treats anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy, but is also associated with misuse and abuse. Nowadays benzodiazepines are considered emerging pollutants: conventional wastewater treatment plants indeed are unable to eliminate these compounds. Consequently, they persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in non-target aquatic organisms with consequences still not fully clear. To collect more information, we investigated the possible epigenetic activity of delorazepam, at three concentrations (1, 5 and 10 μg/L) using Xenopus laevis embryos as a model. Analyses demonstrated a significant increase in genomic DNA methylation and differential methylation of the promoters of some early developmental genes (otx2, sox3, sox9, pax6, rax1, foxf1, and myod1). Moreover, studies on gene expression highlighted an unbalancing in apoptosis/proliferation pathways and an aberrant expression of DNA-repair genes. Results are alarming considering the growing trend of benzodiazepine concentrations in superficial waters, especially after the peak occurred as a consequence of the pandemic COVID-19, and the fact that benzodiazepine GABA-A receptors are highly conserved and present in all aquatic organisms.

Selective Adsorption of Organic Micro-Pollutants by Smectite Clays Revealed from Atomistic Simulations

In this study, atomistic simulations were carried out to study the difference in the adsorption process between two similar molecules, diazepam and oxazepam, on Na+-montmorillonite. Kinetic and XRD measurements showed a contrasting adsorption mechanism of these two molecules, differing only by the presence/absence of methyl and hydroxyl groups, with a larger adsorption amount and intercalation for the oxazepam. The structural characterization of these molecules was investigated through DFT calculations and showed the vicinity of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups for only the chair conformation of oxazepam compared to the boat conformation. Classical molecular dynamics simulations of diazepam and the two forms of oxazepam on the external surface of Na+-montmorillonite highlighted the better coordination of the oxazepam-chair conformation, compared to its boat counterpart and diazepam. This has been confirmed through DFT calculations, from which a coordination energy that is greater by 10 kcal·mol-1 is observed. This strongly suggests that the experimentally observed intercalation of oxazepam occurs only in the chair form because of the strong coordination with the Na+ cation present in the Na-Mt interlayer. Classical MD simulations of the intercalated oxazepam chair molecule in the Na-Mt interlayer allowed the evaluation of the interlayer spacing d001, which was in very good agreement with the experimental XRD measurement.

Structural and functional damage to the retina and skeletal muscle in Xenopus laevis embryos exposed to the commonly used psychotropic benzodiazepine delorazepam

Benzodiazepines, psychotropic drugs, are among the most frequently found pharmaceuticals in aquatic matrices. An increasing number of studies are reporting their harmful effects on adults' behaviour and physiology, while little information is available regarding developing organisms exposed since early stages. Improper activation of GABA receptors during embryonic development is likely to induce relevant consequences on the morphogenesis and, at later stages, on behaviour. This study investigated the negative effects of three increasing concentrations of delorazepam on Xenopus laevis retinal and skeletal muscle morphogenesis. Morphological and ultrastructural investigations were correlated with gene expression, while Raman spectroscopy highlighted the main biochemical components affected. Conventional phototactic response and orientation in the magnetic field were assessed as indicators of proper interaction between sensory organs and the nervous system. Results confirm the profound impact of delorazepam on development and return an alarming picture of the amphibians' survival potentialities in a benzodiazepine-contaminated environment.

Assessment of Risperidone Toxicity in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos

Risperidone is an antipsychotic medication used in the treatment of conditions like autism and schizophrenia. The goal of the current study was to examine the effects of risperidone in zebrafish embryos ( Danio rerio ) with regard to survival, development, and cardiac and neural systems. The results showed that concentrations above 100 μM were associated with deaths, teratogenic effects, and cardiotoxic and neurotoxic effects. The findings support the utility of zebrafish for toxicological screening studies.

Assessment of the Presence of Transformation Products of Certain Pharmaceutical Products (Psychotropic Family) by Suspect and Non-Targeted HRMS Screening in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Aquatic environments are the final receptors of human emissions and are therefore contaminated by molecules, such as pharmaceuticals. After use, these compounds and their metabolites are discharged to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). During wastewater treatment, compounds may be eliminated or degraded into transformation products (TPs) or may be persistent. The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method based on high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for the identification of six psychotropic drugs that are widely consumed in France and present in WWTPs, as well as their potential associated metabolites and TPs. Four out of six psychotropic drugs and between twenty-five and thirty-seven potential TPs were detected in wastewater, although this was based on full scan data. TPs not reported in the literature and specific to the study sites and therefore to the wastewater treatment processes were tentatively identified. For the selected drugs, most known and present TPs were identified, such as desmethylvenlafaxine or norcitalopram. Moreover, the short fragmentation study led rather to the identification of several TPs of carbamazepine as ubiquitous persistent TPs.

Species-specific bioaccumulation and risk prioritization of psychoactive substances in cultured fish

Psychoactive substances are becoming new concern in environmental research with their increasing applications and the potential threats to fishery production as these substances could alter the behavior of fish and consequently affect the yield and quality of cultured fish. In this study, the accumulation and risk of twenty psychoactive substances were investigated in five species of cultured fish in Eastern China. The results showed that the total concentrations of these twenty psychoactive substances ranged from 0.15 to 0.92 ng mL^-1 in the plasma among the five species of cultured fish with an order of perch > crucian carp > bighead carp > grass carp > silver carp. Diazepam (DIAZ) and methamphetamine (MAMP) were identified as the most frequently detected compounds, which were found in 100% and 93% of the samples with a median concentration of 0.15 and 0.12 ng mL^-1 in the plasma, respectively. Although all of the psychoactive substances posed low or negligible risk, species-specific analysis of risk prioritization revealed that alprazolam, MAMP, temazepam and DIAZ exhibited the greatest potentials of hazard to all species of the cultured fish but with a species-dependent variation. These findings suggest that the adverse effects of psychoactive substances on fishery production, especially on different species, should be considered.

The Impact of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on the Prokaryotic Community Composition and Selected Bacterial Strains Based on Microcosm Experiments

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are increasingly recognized as potential environmental contaminants that may induce toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. This 3-week microcosm experiment explores the acute impacts of NSAIDs, including diclofenac (DCF), ibuprofen (IBU), and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), on bacterial communities using a wide range of these substances (200-6000 ppm). The results showed that the NSAID-treated microcosms had higher cell count values than control samples, though the diversity of microbial communities decreased. The isolated heterotrophic bacteria mostly belonged to Proteobacteria, particularly Klebsiella. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that NSAIDs altered the structure of the bacterial community composition, with the proportion of Proteobacteria aligning with the selective cultivation results. Bacteria had higher resistance to IBU/ASA than to DCF. In DCF-treated microcosms, there has been a high reduction of the number of Bacteroidetes, whereas in the microcosms treated with IBU/ASA, they have remained abundant. The numbers of Patescibacteria and Actinobacteria have decreased across all NSAID-treated microcosms. Verrucomicrobia and Planctomycetes have tolerated all NSAIDs, even DCF. Cyanobacteria have also demonstrated tolerance to IBU/ASA treatment in the microcosms. The archaeal community structure was also impacted by the NSAID treatments, with Thaumarchaeota abundant in all microcosms, especially DCF-treated microcosms, while Nanoarchaeota is more typical of IBU/ASA-treated microcosms with lower NSAID concentrations. These results indicate that the presence of NSAIDs in aquatic environments could lead to changes in the composition of microbial communities.

Study of the effect of current intensity on the structural performance of electrogenerated mesoporous aluminum phosphate: application for adsorption

To keep up with the development of contaminants in the water supply, it is required to create new adsorbents or improve current ones. The adsorption capacity of AlPO₄ electrocoagulated with varying current intensities was examined. AlPO₄ was produced by electrolysis in a NaCl solution using aluminum electrodes and a 0.1 M phosphate buffer at varying current intensities. Current efficiency was enhanced. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to analyze the adsorbents (FTIR). The specific surface area was estimated by the quantity of methylene blue adsorbed by particles in an aqueous solution. Numerous operating factors must be addressed, including pH, starting concentration, adsorbent dose, and contact duration. The electrostatic interaction between positively charged MB molecules and negatively charged adsorbents drives adsorption at alkaline pH. When describing equilibrium adsorption, the Langmuir model is more accurate. Modeling using an adsorption isotherm may further improve the predicted specific surface area. At 0.2 amperes, the observed specific surface area was 2.86 m²/g.

Occurrence and removal of psychiatric pharmaceuticals in the Tehran South Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

Psychiatric drugs released by humans in wastewater have received more attention because of their potential risks for aquatic organisms. In this study, the occurrence of the two most common groups of psychiatric drugs (sedatives-hypnotics-anxiolytics and antidepressants) were evaluated in the Tehran South Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant. All the target sedatives-hypnotics-anxiolytics (alprazolam, phenobarbital, and thioridazine) and antidepressants (fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, and venlafaxine) were observed in influent and secondary clarification (SC) effluent. Thioridazine (164.25 ± 218.74 ng/L) and citalopram (672.53 ± 938.56 ng/L) had the highest mean concentrations in the influent, while alprazolam (5.09 ± 2.33 ng/L) and citalopram (776.97 ± 1088.01 ng/L) had the highest concentrations in the SC effluent. The higher concentrations of the psychiatric drugs, except thioridazine, were detected in the SC effluent compared to the concentrations in the influent. The increased drugs concentrations, with negative removal efficiencies, were more distinctive in the cold season samples. Psychiatric drugs processed in the chlorination unit followed a completely different pattern compared to the drugs in the biological treatment unit. All the drugs' concentrations, except thioridazine, decreased in the chlorination unit, ranging between 27 ± 14% for alprazolam and 75 ± 10% for citalopram. However, the mean concentrations of the detected drugs were as follows: sertraline (11.96 ± 11.62 ng/L) and venlafaxine (184.94 ± 219.74 ng/L) which could cause environmental and ecological concerns.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Pharmaceutical Amisulpride Using g-C3N4 Catalyst and UV-A Irradiation

In the present study, the photocatalytic degradation of amisulpride using g-C3N4 catalyst under UV-A irradiation was investigated. The photocatalytic process was evaluated in terms of its effectiveness to remove amisulpride from ultrapure and real municipal wastewater. High removal percentages were achieved in both aqueous matrices. However, a slower degradation rate was observed using wastewater as matrix that could be attributed to its complex chemical composition. The transformation products (TPs) were identified with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) in both ultrapure and real municipal wastewater. Based on the identified TPs, the photocatalytic degradation pathways of amisulpride are proposed which include mainly oxidation, dealkylation, and cleavage of the methoxy group. Moreover, the contribution of reactive species to the degradation mechanism was studied using well-documented scavengers, and the significant role of h+ and O2•− in the reaction mechanism was proved. The evolution of ecotoxicity was also estimated using microalgae Chlorococcum sp. and Dunaliella tertiolecta. Low toxicity was observed during the overall process without the formation of toxic TPs when ultrapure water was used as matrix. In the case of real municipal wastewater, an increased toxicity was observed at the beginning of the process which is attributed to the composition of the matrix. The application of heterogeneous photocatalysis reduced the toxicity, and almost complete detoxification was achieved at the end of the process. Our results are in accordance with literature data that reported that heterogeneous photocatalysis is effective for the removal of amisulpride from aqueous matrices.

Neuroactive pharmaceuticals in estuaries: Occurrence and tissue-specific bioaccumulation in multiple fish species

Contamination of surface waters by pharmaceuticals is an emerging problem globally. This is because the increased access and use of pharmaceuticals by a growing world population lead to environmental contamination, threatening non-target species in their natural environment. Of particular concern are neuroactive pharmaceuticals, which are known to bioaccumulate in fish and impact a variety of individual processes such as fish reproduction or behaviour, which can have ecological impacts and compromise fish populations. In this work, we investigate the occurrence and bioaccumulation of 33 neuroactive pharmaceuticals in brain, muscle and liver tissues of multiple fish species collected in four different estuaries (Douro, Tejo, Sado and Mira). In total, 28 neuroactive pharmaceuticals were detected in water and 13 in fish tissues, with individual pharmaceuticals reaching maximum concentrations of 1590 ng/L and 207 ng/g ww, respectively. The neuroactive pharmaceuticals with the highest levels and highest frequency of detection in the water samples were psychostimulants, antidepressants, opioids and anxiolytics, whereas in fish tissues, antiepileptics, psychostimulants, anxiolytics and antidepressants showed highest concentrations. Bioaccumulation was ubiquitous, occurring in all seven estuarine and marine fish species. Notably, neuroactive compounds were detected in every water and fish brain samples, and in 95% of fish liver and muscle tissues. Despite variations in pharmaceutical occurrence among estuaries, bioaccumulation patterns were consistent among estuarine systems, with generally higher bioaccumulation in fish brain followed by liver and muscle. Moreover, no link between bioaccumulation and compounds' lipophilicity, species habitat use patterns or trophic levels was observed. Overall, this work highlights the occurrence of a highly diverse suite of neuroactive pharmaceuticals and their pervasiveness in waters and fish from estuarine systems with contrasting hydromorphology and urban development and emphasizes the urgent need for toxicity assessment of these compounds in natural ecosystems, linked to internalized body concentration in non-target species.

Pharmaceutical Sorption to Lab Materials May Overestimate Rates of Removal in Lab-Scale Bioreactors

Environmental contamination from pharmaceuticals has received increased attention from researchers in the past 20 years. As such, numerous lab-scale studies have sought to characterize the effects of these contaminants on various targets, as well as determine improved removal methods. Many studies have used lab-scale bioreactors to investigate pharmaceutical effects on wastewater bacteria, as wastewater treatment plants often act as reservoirs for pharmaceuticals. However, few-if any-of these studies report the specific lab materials used during testing, such as tubing or pipette tip type. In this study, the pharmaceuticals erythromycin, diclofenac, and gemfibrozil were exposed to different micropipette tips, syringe filters, and tubing types, and losses over time were evaluated. Losses to tubing and syringe filters were particularly significant and neared 100%, depending on the pharmaceutical compound and length of exposure time. Results discussed herein indicate that pharmaceutical sorption to various lab supplies results in decreases to both dosed and quantified pharmaceutical concentrations. Studies that fail to consider this source of loss may therefore draw inaccurate conclusions about pharmaceutical effects or removal efficiencies.

Environmentally-relevant concentrations of the antipsychotic drugs sulpiride and clozapine induce abnormal dopamine and serotonin signaling in zebrafish brain

The presence of drugs in surface and groundwaters adversely affects the physiological function of non-target organisms due special activities that can pose a serious threats to various forms of aquatic life. Psychotropic drugs are one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of environmentally-relevant concentrations of the antipsychotic drugs, sulpiride and clozapine, on dopaminergic (DAergic) and serotonergic (5-HTergic) neurotransmitter systems in the brain of zebrafish. Adult zebrafish (AB strain) were exposed to the environmentally-relevant concentrations of sulpiride, clozapine, or a mixture of sulpiride and clozapine. The effects of the drugs on the mRNA and protein levels of major functional molecules in DAergic and 5-HTergic systems were then analyzed in the telencephalon and diencephalon. Both drugs induced abnormal mRNA and protein levels of important functional molecules of the DA and 5-HT signaling pathways in both telencephalon and diencephalon, as shown by the abnormal transcriptional levels of TH, DAT, DR D1, DR D2, MAO, TPH, serotonin transporter (SERT), 5-HTR 1AA, 5-HTR 1B, 5-THR 2AA, and 5-HTR 2B, and the abnormal translational levels of DAT, DR D2, SERT, 5-HTR 1A, 5-HTR 1B, and 5-HTR 2B. In addition, we observed a specificity in the adverse effects of these antipsychotic drugs, in terms of doses and brain parts. Compared to their effects alone, the drug mixture had a weaker effect on the DA and 5-HT systems, suggesting an antagonistic interaction between sulpiride and clozapine. Our findings suggest that sulpiride and clozapine interfere with DAergic and 5-HTergic neurotransmitter systems in the telencephalon and diencephalon of zebrafish, resulting in possible effects on brain functions and posing a serious threat to the health of zebrafish.

Identification of Photodegradation Products of Escitalopram in Surface Water by HPLC-MS/MS and Preliminary Characterization of Their Potential Impact on the Environment

The study concerns the photodegradation of the antidepressant escitalopram (ESC), the S-enantiomer of the citalopram raceme, both in ultrapure and surface water, considering the contribution of indirect photolysis through the presence of nitrate and bicarbonate. The effect of nitrate and bicarbonate concentrations was investigated by full factorial design, and only the nitrate concentration resulted in having a significant effect on the degradation. The kinetics of ESC photodegradation is the pseudo-first-order (half-life = 62.4 h in ultrapure water and 48.4 h in lake water). The generation of transformation products (TPs) was monitored through a developed and validated HPLC-MS/MS method. Fourteen TPs were identified in ultrapure water (one of them, at m/z 261, for the first time) and other two TPs at m/z 327 (found for the first time in this study) were identified only in presence of a nitrate. Several TPs were the same as those formed during the photodegradation of citalopram. The photodegradation pathway of ESC and its mechanism of degradation in water is proposed. The method was applied successfully to the analyses of surface water samples, in which a few dozen of ng L−1 of ESC was determined together with the presence of TP2, TP5 and TP12. Finally, a preliminary in silico evaluation of the toxicological profile and environmental behavior of TPs by computational models was carried out; two TPs (TP4 and TP10) were identified as of potential concern, as they were predicted mutagenic by Ames test model.

Environmental concentrations of a delorazepam-based drug impact on embryonic development of non-target Xenopus laevis

Benzodiazepines, psychotropics drugs used for treating sleep disorders, anxiety and epilepsy, represent a major class of emerging water pollutants. As occurs for other pharmaceutical residues, they are not efficiently degraded during sewage treatment and persist in effluent waters. Bioaccumulation is already reported in fish and small crustaceans, but the impact and consequences on other "non-target" aquatic species are still unclear and nowadays of great interest. In this study, we investigated the effects of a pharmaceutical preparation containing the benzodiazepine delorazepam on the embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis, amphibian model species, taxa at high risk of exposure to water contaminants. Environmental (1 μg/L) and two higher (5 and 10 μg/L) concentrations were tested on tadpoles up to stage 45/46. Results demonstrate that delorazepam interferes with embryo development and that the effects are prevalently dose-dependent. Delorazepam reduces vitality by decreasing heart rate and motility, induces marked cephalic and abdominal edema, as well as intestinal and retinal defects. At the molecular level, delorazepam increases ROS production, modifies the expression of some master developmental genes and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The resulting stress condition significantly affects embryos' development and threatens their survival. Similar effects should be expected as well in embryos belonging to other aquatic species that have not been yet considered targets for these pharmaceutical residues.

Consumption and ocurrence of antidepressants (SSRIs) in pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic, their environmental impact and innovative removal methods: A review

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are pharmaceuticals whose consumption has increased significantly. They are prescribed as first-line treatment in mental disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, and anxiety; also, they are indicated as adjuvants in diseases such as fibromyalgia and bulimia nervosa. In addition to being linked to the illegal market to be consumed as recreational drugs. The relevance of this review lies in the fact that worldwide consumption has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the depression and anxiety that originated in the population. As a consequence of this increase in consumption, concentrations of SSRIs in the environment have increased, and these have become a relevant issue for toxicologists due to the effects that they could generate in different organisms, both aquatic and terrestrial. For this reason, the objective of this article was to do a critical evaluation of the existing data on the characteristics and physicochemical properties of SSRIs, consumption data during the COVID-19 pandemic, its occurrence in the environment and the reports of toxic effects that have been generated in different organisms; we also conclude with an updated review of different methods that have been used for their removal. With this analysis, it can be concluded that, despite SSRIs are pharmaceutical products widely studied since their launching to the market, still currently under investigation to clarify their mechanisms of action to understand the different effects on the organisms, adverse reactions, as well as possible toxicological effects on non-target organisms. On the other hand, it has been proven that although it is already possible to eliminate a significant percentage of SSRIs in the laboratory, due to their physicochemical characteristics and their behavior in complex mixtures in the environment, they have not yet been eradicated, showing a persistence in the soil, subsoil and surface waters of the entire planet that may represent a future risk.

Comprehensive assessment of chemical residues in surface and wastewater using passive sampling, chemical, biological, and fish behavioral assays

Effluents from ten full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that discharge into the Hudson River, surface waters, and wild-caught fish samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to examine the influence of wastewater discharge on the concentrations of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and their ecological impacts on fish. Analysis was based on targeted detection of 41 pharmaceuticals, and non-targeted analysis (suspect screening) of CECs. Biological effects of treated WWTP effluents were assessed using a larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) swimming behavior assay. Concentrations of residues in surface waters were determined in grab samples and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). In addition, vitellogenin peptides, used as biomarkers of endocrine disruption, were quantified using LC/MS/MS in the wild-caught fish plasma samples. Overall, 94 chemical residues were identified, including 63 pharmaceuticals, 10 industrial chemicals, and 21 pesticides. Eight targeted pharmaceuticals were detected in 100% of effluent samples with median detections of: bupropion (194 ng/L), carbamazepine (91 ng/L), ciprofloxacin (190 ng/L), citalopram (172 ng/L), desvenlafaxine (667 ng/L), iopamidol (3790 ng/L), primidone (86 ng/L), and venlafaxine (231 ng/L). Over 30 chemical residues were detected in wild-caught fish tissues. Notably, zebrafish larvae exposed to chemical extracts of effluents from 9 of 10 WWTPs, in at least one season, were significantly hyperactive. Vitellogenin expression in male or immature fish occurred 2.8 times more frequently in fish collected from the Hudson River as compared to a reference site receiving no direct effluent input. Due to the low concentrations of pharmaceuticals detected in effluents, it is likely that chemicals other than pharmaceuticals measured are responsible for the behavioral changes observed. The combined use of POCIS and non-target analysis demonstrated significant increase in the chemical coverage for CEC detection, providing a better insight on the impacts of WWTP effluents and agricultural practices on surface water quality.

Synthetic estrogen bioaccumulates and changes the behavior and biochemical biomarkers in adult zebrafish

Estrogen is considered to be an endocrine disrupter and is becoming increasingly more prevalent in the daily life of humans. In some cases, estrogen is not fully metabolized by organisms and may be excreted in either its original form or in organic complex forms, into water residue systems reaching concentrations of 0.05 ng.L^-1 to 75 ng.L^-1. However, estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), which is used in oral contraceptives, is very difficult to remove from water. Here, we evaluated whether the synthetic hormone, EE2, affects the nervous system and the behavior of adult zebrafish. We established a range of concentrations (0.05, 0.5, 5, 50, and 75 ng.L^-1), in addition to the control, to evaluate the effect of this compound and its bioaccumulation in zebrafish tissues. Here we show that EE2 bioaccumulates in fish and can change its behavior with an increased time in the upper zone (novel tank test) and far from the shoal segment (social preference test), demonstrating a clear anxiolytic pattern. The anxiolytic effect of EE2 can be harmful as it can affect the stress response of the species. The results presented herein reinforce the idea that the presence of EE2 in environmental water can be dangerous for non-target animals.

Bioconcentration of neuroactive pharmaceuticals in fish: Relation to lipophilicity, experimental design and toxicity in the aquatic environment

Uptake of contaminants is linked to their toxicity and is usually estimated through their lipophilicity (logK_ow). Here, we review current literature regarding bioconcentration, i.e. uptake of contaminants from the external environment only, and the effects of exposure to neuroactive pharmaceuticals in fish. We aim to determine if lipophilicity is a suitable predictor of bioconcentration of these compounds in fish, to identify major drivers of bioconcentration and explore the link between bioconcentration potential and toxicity, focusing on survival, growth, condition, behaviour and reproduction endpoints. Additionally, we compare concentrations known to elicit significant effects in fish with current environmental concentrations, identifying exposure risk in ecosystems. The majority of studies have focused on antidepressants, mainly fluoxetine, and encompasses mostly freshwater species. Few studies determined pharmaceuticals bioconcentration, and even a smaller portion combined bioconcentration with other toxicity endpoints. Results show that lipophilicity isn't a good predictor of neuroactive pharmaceuticals' bioconcentration in fish, which in turn is highly influenced by experimental parameters, including abiotic conditions, species and life-stage. The need for increased standardization of experimental settings is key towards improving accuracy of environmental risk assessments and application in future regulatory schemes. Still, increased fish lethality was linked to increased bioconcentration, yet no other correlations were observed when considering effects on growth, condition, behaviour or reproduction, likely as a result of insufficient and variable data. In the context of current environmental concentrations, several neuroactive pharmaceuticals were found to be potentially threatening, while data on occurrence is lacking for some compounds, particularly in brackish/marine systems. Specifically, nine compounds (fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, amitriptyline, venlafaxine, clozapine, carbamazepine, metamfetamine and oxazepam) were found at concentrations either above or critically close to minimum response concentrations, thus likely to affect fish in freshwater and brackish or marine environments, which supports further exploration in risk management strategies and monitoring programs in aquatic environments.

Abundance, fate, and effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in aquatic environments

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are found in wastewater, and thus, the environment. In this study, current knowledge about the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in aquatic systems-including wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and natural waters around the world-is critically reviewed to inform the state of the science and highlight existing knowledge gaps. Excretion by humans is the primary route of PPCPs entry into municipal wastewater systems, but significant contributions also occur through emissions from hospitals, PPCPs manufacturers, and agriculture. Abundance of PPCPs in raw wastewater is influenced by several factors, including the population density and demography served by WWTPs, presence of hospitals and drugs manufacturers in the sewershed, disease burden of the population served, local regulations, and climatic conditions. Based on the data obtained from WWTPs, analgesics, antibiotics, and stimulants (e.g., caffeine) are the most abundant PPCPs in raw wastewater. In conventional WWTPs, most removal of PPCPs occurs during secondary treatment, and overall removal exceeds 90% for treatable PPCPs. Regardless, the total PPCP mass discharged with effluent by an average WWTP into receiving waters (7.35-20,160 g/day) is still considerable, because potential adverse effects of some PPCPs (such as ibuprofen) on aquatic organisms occur within measured concentrations found in surface waters.

Transformation products of pharmaceuticals in the environment: Their fate, (eco)toxicity and bioaccumulation potential

Nowadays, a huge scientific attention is being paid to the chemicals of emerging concern, which may pose a significant risk to the human and whole ecosystems. Among them, residues of pharmaceuticals are a widely investigated group of chemicals. In recent years it has been repeatedly demonstrated that pharmaceuticals are present in the environment and that some of them can be toxic to organisms as well as accumulate in their tissues. However, even though the knowledge of the presence, fate and possible threats posed by the parent forms of pharmaceuticals is quite extensive, their transformation products (TPs) have been disregarded for long time. Since last few years, this aspect has gained more scientific attention and recently published papers proved their common presence in the environment. Also the interest in terms of their toxicity, bioconcentration and stability in the environment has increased. Therefore, the aim of our paper was to revise and assess the current state of knowledge on the fate and effects resulting from the presence of the pharmaceuticals' transformation drugs in the environment. This review discusses the metabolites of compounds belonging to six major pharmaceutical groups: SSRIs, anticancer drugs, antibiotics, antihistamines, NSAIDs and opioids, additionally discussing other individual compounds for which literature data exist. The data presented in this paper prove that some TPs may be as harmful as their native forms, however for many groups of drugs this data is still insufficient to assess the risk posed by their presence in the environment.

Photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen in water via ultraviolet light and titanium dioxide thin films part II: chemical and kinetic aspects

Among the large family of emergent pharmaceutical contaminants, we find acetaminophen (ACE) that critically needs to be removed from wastewater. Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) have proven effective in the degradation of large molecular contaminants from water. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study reported on the degradation of ACE based on immobilized TiO2 thin films. In an effort to increase the understanding of the efficiency of the degradation process, an in-depth investigation of the effects of the structure, i.e., coating layers and the amount of surface, i.e., number of coated slides used, is needed. Transparent, anatase-form TiO2 thin films were prepared via the sol-gel method (Rawal, S., S. Buer, J. R. Sanders, and P. E. Arce. 2021. “Photocatalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen from Water Solutions Via Thin Films. Part I: Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2 Thin Films.” International Journal of Reactor Engineering [Accepted]) and deposited onto glass microscope slides using a novel spraying technique, with coatings ranging from one to 10 layers. This contribution summarizes the effect of several key factors including initial concentration of the ACE, the number of coating layers (6, 8, and 10) on the glass slides and the number (4 and 6) of slides on the degradation levels for three selected media, e.g., acid, neutral and base. Comparisons studies, supported by statistical analysis between two different sets (4 and 6) of slides with discussion of potential physical-chemical reasons behind the behaviors are reported. Finally, global, first order kinetic rate constants are also reported for the different conditions used in the investigation. Although further research would be needed, in general the results are promising for the potential degradation of ACE in continuous flow systems by using immobilized TiO2 on surfaces as thin films.

Dynamics of Soil Microbial Communities During Diazepam and Oxazepam Biodegradation in Soil Flooded by Water From a WWTP

The demand for energy and chemicals is constantly growing, leading to an increase of the amounts of contaminants discharged to the environment. Among these, pharmaceutical molecules are frequently found in treated wastewater that is discharged into superficial waters. Indeed, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to remove organic pollution from urban effluents but are not specific, especially toward contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), which finally reach the natural environment. In this context, it is important to study the fate of micropollutants, especially in a soil aquifer treatment (SAT) context for water from WWTPs, and for the most persistent molecules such as benzodiazepines. In the present study, soils sampled in a reed bed frequently flooded by water from a WWTP were spiked with diazepam and oxazepam in microcosms, and their concentrations were monitored for 97 days. It appeared that the two molecules were completely degraded after 15 days of incubation. Samples were collected during the experiment in order to follow the dynamics of the microbial communities, based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing for Archaea and Bacteria, and ITS2 gene for Fungi. The evolution of diversity and of specific operating taxonomic units (OTUs) highlighted an impact of the addition of benzodiazepines, a rapid resilience of the fungal community and an evolution of the bacterial community. It appeared that OTUs from the Brevibacillus genus were more abundant at the beginning of the biodegradation process, for diazepam and oxazepam conditions. Additionally, Tax4Fun tool was applied to 16S rRNA gene sequencing data to infer on the evolution of specific metabolic functions during biodegradation. It finally appeared that the microbial community in soils frequently exposed to water from WWTP, potentially containing CECs such as diazepam and oxazepam, may be adapted to the degradation of persistent contaminants.

Aquatic concentration and risk assessment of pharmaceutically active compounds in the environment

Pharmaceutically active compounds are increasingly detected in raw and treated wastewater, surface water, and drinking water worldwide. These compounds can cause adverse effects to the ecosystem even at low concentrations and, to assess these impacts, toxicity tests are essential. However, the toxicity data are scarce for many PhACs, and when available, they are dispersed in the literature. The values of pharmaceuticals concentration in the environment and toxicity data are essential for measuring their environmental and human health risks. Thus this review verified the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and the toxicity related to them. The risk assessment was also carried out. Diclofenac, naproxen, erythromycin, roxithromycin, and 17β-estradiol presented a high environment risk and 17α-ethinylestradiol presented a high human health risk. This shows the potential of these pharmaceuticals to cause adverse effects to the ecosystem and humans and establishes the necessity of their removal through advanced technologies.

Effects of the anxiolytic benzodiazepine oxazepam on freshwater gastropod reproduction: a prospective study

Psychoactive drugs have emerged as contaminants over the last few decades. These drugs are frequently prescribed and poorly eliminated by wastewater treatment plants, and many are present at non-negligible concentrations in surface waters. Several studies have investigated the non-target organism toxicity of one such drug, oxazepam, a benzodiazepine anxiolytic frequently detected in rivers. However, very little is known about the impact of this drug on reproduction. We investigated the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of oxazepam on Radix balthica, a freshwater gastropod widespread in Europe. We identified the reproductive organs of Radix balthica. We then exposed this gastropod to oxazepam for two months and assessed several reproductive parameters, from reproductive organ status to behavioral parameters. We found that adults exposed to 10 µg/L oxazepam display an increase in the density of spermatozoa, and that adults exposed to 0.8 µg/L oxazepam displayed a decrease in the number of eggs per egg mass over time. By contrast, oxazepam had no effect on shell length, the size of male reproductive organs or social interactions. Finally, a locomotor activity analysis showed the distance covered over time decreased in all conditions of exposure to oxazepam, potentially reflecting a disturbance of exploratory activity. These results shed light on the effects of oxazepam on the reproduction of a non-target freshwater mollusk.

Understanding how stress responses and stress-related behaviors have evolved in zebrafish and mammals

Stress response is essential for the organism to quickly restore physiological homeostasis disturbed by various environmental insults. In addition to well-established physiological cascades, stress also evokes various brain and behavioral responses. Aquatic animal models, including the zebrafish (Danio rerio), have been extensively used to probe pathobiological mechanisms of stress and stress-related brain disorders. Here, we critically discuss the use of zebrafish models for studying mechanisms of stress and modeling its disorders experimentally, with a particular cross-taxon focus on the potential evolution of stress responses from zebrafish to rodents and humans, as well as its translational implications.

Human Drug Pollution in the Aquatic System: The Biochemical Responses of Danio rerio Adults

Simple Summary

The release of medicinal products for human use in the aquatic environment is now a serious problem, and can be fatal for the organisms that live there. Danio rerio is a freshwater fish that provides the possibility to study the effects of these pollutants on the health of aquatic organisms. The results of the various existing scientific studies are scarce and conflicting. Here, we review the scientific studies that have analyzed these effects, highlighting that the impacts of drugs are evident in the biochemical responses of these animals.

Abstract

To date, drug pollution in aquatic systems is an urgent issue, and Danio rerio is a model organism to study the toxicological effects of environmental pollutants. The scientific literature has analyzed the effect of human drug pollution on the biochemical responses in the tissues of D. rerio adults. However, the information is still scarce and conflicting, making it difficult to understand its real impact. The scientific studies are not consistent with each other and, until now, no one has grouped their results to create a baseline of knowledge of the possible impacts. In this review, the analysis of literature data highlights that the effects of drugs on adult zebrafishes depend on various factors, such as the tissue analyzed, the drug concentration and the sex of the individuals. Furthermore, the most influenced biochemical responses concern enzymes (e.g., antioxidants and hydrolase enzymes) and total protein and hormonal levels. Pinpointing the situation to date would improve the understanding of the chronic effects of human drug pollution, helping both to reduce it in the aquatic systems and then to draw up regulations to control this type of pollution.

Pharmaceutical Compounds in Aquatic Environments-Occurrence, Fate and Bioremediation Prospective

Various contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have been detected in different ecosystems, posing a threat to living organisms and the environment. Pharmaceuticals are among the many CECs that enter the environment through different pathways, with wastewater treatment plants being the main input of these pollutants. Several technologies for the removal of these pollutants have been developed through the years, but there is still a lack of sustainable technologies suitable for being applied in natural environments. In this regard, solutions based on natural biological processes are attractive for the recovery of contaminated environments. Bioremediation is one of these natural-based solutions and takes advantage of the capacity of microorganisms to degrade different organic pollutants. Degradation of pollutants by native microorganisms is already known to be an important detoxification mechanism that is involved in natural attenuation processes that occur in the environment. Thus, bioremediation technologies based on the selection of natural degrading bacteria seem to be a promising clean-up technology suitable for application in natural environments. In this review, an overview of the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals is carried out, in which bioremediation tools are explored for the removal of these pollutants from impacted environments.

Spatial distribution of pharmaceuticals within the particulate phases of a peri-urban stream

Pharmaceutical products (PPs) are consumed worldwide and are continuously released into hydrological environments, but are not efficiently removed by sewage treatment plants. Their occurrence within the dissolved phase has been extensively studied, but only a few articles concern solid matrices. The mechanisms and extent of sorption depend on the properties of both the molecules (degradability, charge, hydrophobicity) and the matrices (clay content, organic matter content), making the spatio-temporal distribution of PPs in natural environments complex and poorly elucidated. To improve our understanding of PP distribution at a catchment scale, this study investigated different groups of molecules with varying solubility and charges, in water, suspended particulate matter, bed-load and pond sediments. The Egoutier stream, which collects the sewage effluents from two health institutions sewage effluents, is a good candidate for this investigation. Results indicate that PP occurrences in the different particulate compartments were mainly regulated by their wastewater occurrences and charges. Particulate phases all along the Egoutier stream were characterized by a limited clay content (i.e. less than 1%) and significant organic carbon content (i.e. between 0.3% and 18.0%) favouring non-specific adsorption. Therefore, neutral PPs, exhibiting higher discharge rates, persistence and hydrophobicities in comparison with cationic and anionic molecules, were the most abundant PPs in the particulate phases of this catchment. In bed-load sediments, global PP spatial distributions reflected discharge sites and sedimentary accumulation zones, mostly that of organic matter. Spatial distributions of the more hydrophobic and persistent PP in the particulate phases thus followed the stream sedimentary dynamic.

Computational investigation, comparative approaches, molecular structural, vibrational spectral, non-covalent interaction (NCI), and electron excitations analysis of benzodiazepine derivatives

The present work explores the structural parameters and vibrational frequencies as well as molecular interactions of benzodiazepine derivatives, such as clothiapine (CT), clozapine (CZ), and loxapine (LX). Employing fitting experimental data to theoretical results is used to assess the structural parameters of heading composites. The main assignment is passed out according to the overall distribution of energy of the vibrational modes. From the hyper-conjugative interaction, the permanency of the structure had been predicted through natural bond orbital analysis; it is also used to identify the bonding and antibonding regions of the molecules. Moreover, electrostatic potential (ESP), density of states (DOS), and charge transfer occurring of the molecule among HOMO as well as LUMO energy were calculated and presented; utilizing electron localized field (ELF), localized orbital locator (LOL), and reduced density gradient (RDG), the chemical interactive regions are found. Additionally, mean polarizability (α_tot), the first-order hyperpolarizability (β_tot), and softness and hardness of the entitled compounds were also performed. The interaction between protein-ligand was also predicted by docking studies.

Simple and effective removal of psychiatric pharmaceuticals from wastewater treatment plant effluents by magnetite red mud nanoparticles

Psychological disorders due to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the consumption of psychiatric pharmaceuticals on a global scale in last year. These compounds reach wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) through sewerage system and are not sufficiently removed by using conventional treatment process. Psychiatric drugs released with WWTP effluent may cause possible risks to the receiving aquatic environment. Also, two antidepressants have been included in the "watch list" in 2020. Therefore, simple and relatively cost effective removal of psychiatric drugs from wastewaters becomes important. Magnetite red mud nanoparticles (RM-NPs) synthesized was applied for the removal of psychiatric drugs (fluoxetine, paroxetine, carbamazepine, diazepam, and lorazepam) in WWTP effluent first time in this study. The adsorption of carbamazepine as a model compound was fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Freundlich isotherm model better represented the sorption data than the Langmuir model. High adsorption capacity (90.5 mg/g) was reached at 30 min contact time at pH 6.5-7.0 at 25 °C. The adsorption rate was described by the pseudo second order model and its rate control mechanism was controlled by film diffusion. The magnetite RM-NPs were efficiently used for the removal of carbamazepine from real WWTP effluents. The adsorption capacity and the magnetic separability of the regenerated magnetite RM-NPs were unaffected five cycles. Due to its simple application, low cost and high adsorption capacity, magnetite RM-NPs can be recommended as a better adsorbent comparing to commercial adsorbents to remove psychiatric drugs from WWTP effluents.

Characteristics and transformation pathways of venlafaxine degradation during disinfection processes using free chlorine and chlorine dioxide

Venlafaxine, a representative antidepressant, has been detected frequently in aquatic environments. The treatment of venlafaxine by free chlorine (NaOCl) and chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) was investigated in this study. The effects of operational variables and the water matrix on venlafaxine degradation were evaluated. The transformation pathways of venlafaxine were also studied. The results indicated that venlafaxine was removed efficiently during disinfection processes, especially when reacted with ClO₂. A higher dosage of disinfectant and mildly alkaline conditions (pH 9) enhanced the degradation of venlafaxine. The reactions were impacted when the tests were conducted in real water matrices, especially in secondary effluent. The presence of chloride and low concentrations of fulvic acid enhanced venlafaxine decomposition. The presence of Br^- also accelerated the reaction between venlafaxine and NaOCl. However, NO₂^- inhibited venlafaxine removal in both disinfection processes. Six intermediates were identified during venlafaxine degradation by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the main reactions included dehydration and demethylation.

Estimation of the psychoactive substances consumption within 12 wastewater treatment plants service areas in a certain city of Guangxi, China applying wastewater-based epidemiology

The abuse of psychoactive substances has been increasing dramatically over the last few years, which is becoming a concern for human health and social stability. How to accurately estimate psychoactive substances' total consumption in certain areas is the key to manage such substances. In order to control psychoactive substances, 8 psychoactive substances' consumption within 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) service areas in a certain city of Guangxi, China was investigated in 2019. Firstly, a solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was used to determine the influent concentrations. Morphine (MOR), 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methamphetamine (METH), ketamine (KET), and norketamine (NK) were detected, with the concentrations ranging from less than method detection limit (NK, MDMA) to 170.91 (METH) ng/L. Then, the back-estimation of consumption was conducted according to the objective and near real-time wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). The results demonstrate that KET, MOR, and METH are the most abused psychoactive substances, with the mean consumption of 682.42, 167.81, and 44.56 mg/day/1000 inh, respectively. The psychoactive substance residues of WWTPs influent were analyzed to estimate such substances' consumption in specific areas, so as to provide support for risk prevention and control.

Observable removal of pharmaceutical residues by highly porous photoactive cellulose acetate@MIL-MOF film

Pharmaceutical products are used tremendously worldwide and subsequently released into wastewater even at very low concentration caused serious environmental problem due to their high activity. Therefore, the present work focuses on remarkable removal of paracetamol as one from the most used pharmaceutical intermediates, by using porous film based on cellulose acetate@metal organic framework (CA@Ti-MIL-NH₂). The film was designed to achieve extreme removal of paracetamol by action of both of adsorption and degradation. Metal organic frame work was directly synthesized and inserted within the pre-prepared porous CA film to obtain porous CA@Ti-MIL-NH₂ film. The synthesized films were applied in adsorption and photo-degradation of paracetamol separately and together. Due to the photocatalytic activity of Ti-MIL-NH_2, the photo-degradation of paracetamol in visible-light was much effective and considerably high degradation of paracetamol was observed (k₁ = 760.0 m^-1) comparing to the adsorption (k₁ = 160.0 m^-1). The overall removal of paracetamol was significantly enlarged from 82.7 mg/g for CA film to 519.1 mg/g for porous CA@Ti-MIL-NH₂ film. The used film exhibited quite good reusability and the removal of paracetamol was lowered from 96% to 85% after 5 regeneration cycles. Results of total organic carbon confirmed that paracetamol was fully degraded to CO₂ and water.

Development of a method for assessing the accumulation and metabolization of antidepressant drugs in zebrafish (Danio rerio) eleutheroembryos

Antidepressant drugs are widely used for the treatment of common mental or other psychiatric disorders such as depression, which affect about 121 million people worldwide. This widespread use has contributed to the input of these pharmaceuticals and their metabolites into the environment. The aim of this work was to develop an analytical method to quantify the most widely used antidepressant drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), and their main metabolites in the environment. For this, a new and reliable miniaturized extraction method based on dispersive SPE cleanup procedure for extraction of SSRI followed by derivatization with n-heptafluorobutyrylimidazole, and detection by GC-MS was developed. The methodology, including a first-order one-compartment model, was then applied to a bioconcentration study in zebrafish (Danio rerio) eleutheroembryos. The results showed low bioaccumulation of these compounds; however, a biotransformation evidence of the parent compounds into their metabolites was observed after 6 h of exposure. These results indicate the need to integrate metabolic transformation rates to fully model and understand the bioaccumulation patterns of SSRI and their metabolites.

Emerging contaminants detected in aquaculture sites in Java, Indonesia

Pharmaceuticals of emerging concern (acetaminophen (ACM), trimethoprim (TMP), oxytetracycline (OTC), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX)) were detected in water samples from aquaculture environments and nonaquaculture sites in four regions located on the northern coast of Central Java. ACM was the most prevalent pharmaceutical, with a mean concentration ranging from not detected (n.d.) to 5.5 ± 1.9 ngL^-1 (Brebes). Among the target antibiotics (TMP, OTC, SMX), OTC was the most ubiquitous, with a mean concentration varying from n.d. to 8.0 ± 3.3 ngL^-1. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between TMP and SMX concentrations. Based on ecological risk assessment evaluation, the use of OTC requires serious consideration, as it presented high health risks to algae, while ACM, TMP, and SMX posed an insignificant to moderate risk to algae, invertebrates, and fish. The findings obtained from this study highlight OTC as an emerging contaminant of prominent concern. More attention needs to be given to managing and planning for the sustainable management of shrimp farms, particularly in the northern part of Central Java.

Prospects on coupling UV/H2O2 with activated sludge or a fungal treatment for the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds in real hospital wastewater

Conventional active sludge (AS) process at municipal centralized wastewater treatment facilities may exhibit little pharmaceuticals (PhACs) removal efficiencies when treating hospital wastewater (HWW). Therefore, a dedicated efficient wastewater treatment at the source point is recommended. In this sense, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and fungal treatment (FG) have evidenced promising results in degrading PhACs. The coupling of the AOP based on UV/H₂O₂ treatment with biological treatment (AS or FG) treating a real non-sterile HWW, was evaluated in this work. In addition, a coagulation-flocculation pretreatment was applied to improve the efficiency of all approaches. Twenty-two PhACs were detected in raw HWW, which were effectively removed (93-95%) with the combination of any of the biological treatment followed by UV/H₂O₂ treatment. Similar removal results (94%) were obtained when placing UV/H₂O₂ treatment before FG, while a lower removal (83%) was obtained in the combination of UV/H₂O₂ followed by AS. However, the latest was the only treatment combination that achieved a decrease in the toxicity of water. Moreover, deconjugation of conjugated PhACs has been suggested for ofloxacin and lorazepam after AS treatment, and for ketoprofen after fungal treatment. Monitoring of carbamazepine and its transformation products along the treatment allowed to identify the same carbamazepine degradation pathway in UV/H₂O₂ and AS treatments, unlike fungal treatment, which followed another degradation route.

Pharmaceuticals in farms and surrounding surface water bodies: Hazard and ecotoxicity in a swine production area in Costa Rica

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is known to have multiple origins; livestock activities comprise one scarcely studied source, both globally and specially in Latin-America. This work aims to study the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater from swine farms and their surrounding surface waters, in a highland livestock production area of Costa Rica. The monitoring of 70 pharmaceutical active compounds resulted in the detection of 10 molecules in farm wastewater (influents and effluents of the on-farm treatment system), including compounds of animal and human use. A 57% of effluents showed high hazard (ΣHQ > 1), mainly due to the compounds risperidone, ketoprofen, ibuprofen and naproxen. Additionally, ecotoxicological tests with Daphnia magna and Microtox classified at least 21% of the effluents as very toxic (10 < TU ≤ 100); likewise, 86% of effluents exhibited germination index (GI) inhibition values over 90% for Lactuca sativa. Seven molecules were detected in surface water, six of them of human use (1,7-dimethylxanthine, caffeine, cephalexin, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen) and one (acetaminophen) of dual (human and veterinary) use; nonetheless, most of the detections were found in sampling points closer to human settlements than animal farms. Considering the set of molecules and their distribution, the livestock influence on surface water seems minimal in comparison with the urban influence. Only 16% of surface water samples showed high risk, mainly due to ibuprofen, gemfibrozil and caffeine; similarly, 45% samples presented GI inhibition >20% (no toxicity was determined towards Daphnia magna or Microtox). These findings in surface water suggest an incipient environmental risk in the area.

Antipsychotics as environmental pollutants: An underrated threat?

The heterogeneous class of what we nowadays call antipsychotics was born almost 70 years ago with the serendipitous discovery of chlorpromazine. Their utilization is constantly growing because they are used to treat a diverse group of diseases and patients across all age groups: schizophrenia, bipolar disease, depression, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, among others. They possess a complex pharmacological profile, acting on multiple receptors: dopaminergic, serotoninergic, histaminergic, adrenergic, and cholinergic, leading scientists to call them "agents with rich pharmacology" or "dirty drugs". Serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, noradrenaline, histamine and their respective receptors are evolutionary ancient compounds, and as such, are found in many different living beings in the environment. Antipsychotics do not disappear once excreted by patient's urine or faeces and are transported to wastewater treatment plants. But as these plant's technology is not designed to eliminate drugs and their metabolites, a variable proportion of the administered dose ends up in the environment, where they have been found in almost every matrix: municipal wastewater, hospital sewage, rivers, lakes, sea and even drinking water. We believe that reported concentrations found in the environment might be high enough to exert significant effect to aquatic wildlife. Besides, recent studies suggest antipsychotics, among others, are very likely bioaccumulating through the web food. Crucially, psychotropics may provoke behavioural changes affecting populations' dynamics at lower concentrations. We believe that so far, antipsychotics have not received the attention they deserve with regards to drug pollution, and that their role as environmental pollutants has been underrated.

Phototransformation of Three Psychoactive Drugs in Presence of Sedimental Water Extractable Organic Matter

Psychoactive drugs are classified as contaminants of emerging concern but there is limited information on their fate in surface waters. Here, we studied the photodegradation of three psychoactive drugs (sertraline, clozapine, and citalopram) in the presence of organic matter (WEOM) extracted under mild conditions from sediment of Lake Pamvotis, Greece. Spectral characterization of WEOM confirmed its humic-like nature. Preliminary experiments using chemical probes showed that WEOM was able to produce oxidant triplet excited state (³WEOM*), singlet oxygen (¹O₂), and hydroxyl radicals under irradiation with simulated solar light. Then, WEOM at 5 mgC L^-1 was irradiated in the presence of the three drugs. It enhanced their phototransformation by a factor of 2, 4.2, and 16 for sertraline, clozapine, and citalopram, respectively. The drastic inhibiting effect of 2-propanol (5 × 10^-3 M) on the reactions demonstrated that hydroxyl radical was the key intermediate responsible for drugs photodegradation. A series of photoproducts were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS). The photodegradation of the three drugs proceeded through several pathways, in particular oxidations of the rings with or without O atom inclusion, N elimination, and substitution of the halogen by OH. The formation of halogenated aromatics was observed for sertraline. To conclude, sedimental natural organic matter can significantly phototransform the studied antidepressant drugs and these reactions need to be more investigated. Finally, ecotoxicity was estimated for the three target analytes and their photoproducts, using the Ecological Structure Activity Relationships (ECOSAR) computer program.

In situ functionalization of a cellulosic-based activated carbon with magnetic iron oxides for the removal of carbamazepine from wastewater

The main goal of this work was to produce an easily recoverable waste-based magnetic activated carbon (MAC) for an efficient removal of the antiepileptic pharmaceutical carbamazepine (CBZ) from wastewater. For this purpose, the synthesis procedure was optimized and a material (MAC4) providing immediate recuperation from solution, remarkable adsorptive performance and relevant properties (specific surface area of 551 m² g^-1 and saturation magnetization of 39.84 emu g^-1) was selected for further CBZ kinetic and equilibrium adsorption studies. MAC4 presented fast CBZ adsorption rates and short equilibrium times (< 30-45 min) in both ultrapure water and wastewater. Equilibrium studies showed that MAC4 attained maximum adsorption capacities (q_m) of 68 ± 4 mg g^-1 in ultrapure water and 60 ± 3 mg g^-1 in wastewater, suggesting no significant interference of the aqueous matrix in the adsorption process. Overall, this work provides evidence of potential application of a waste-based MAC in the tertiary treatment of wastewaters. Graphical abstract.

High-Throughput Screening of Psychotropic Compounds: Impacts on Swimming Behaviours in Artemia franciscana

Animal behaviour is becoming increasingly popular as an endpoint in ecotoxicology due to its increased sensitivity and speed compared to traditional endpoints. However, the widespread use of animal behaviours in environmental risk assessment is currently hindered by a lack of optimisation and standardisation of behavioural assays for model species. In this study, assays to assess swimming speed were developed for a model crustacean species, the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. Preliminary works were performed to determine optimal arena size for this species, and weather lux used in the experiments had an impact on the animals phototactic response. Swimming speed was significantly lower in the smallest arena, whilst no difference was observed between the two larger arenas, suggesting that the small arena was limiting swimming ability. No significant difference was observed in attraction to light between high and low light intensities. Arena size had a significant impact on phototaxis behaviours. Large arenas resulted in animals spending more time in the light side of the arena compared to medium and small, irrespective of light intensity. The swimming speed assay was then used to expose specimens to a range of psychotropic compounds with varying modes of action. Results indicate that swimming speed provides a valid measure of the impacts of behaviour modulating compounds on A. franciscana. The psychotropic compounds tested varied in their impacts on animal behaviour. Fluoxetine resulted in increased swimming speed as has been found in other crustacean species, whilst oxazepam, venlafaxine and amitriptyline had no significant impacts on the behaviours measured. The results from this study suggest a simple, fast, high throughput assay for A. franciscana and gains insight on the impacts of a range of psychotropic compounds on the swimming behaviours of a model crustacean species used in ecotoxicology studies.

Stimulants cocktail: Methylphenidate plus caffeine impairs memory and cognition and alters mitochondrial and oxidative status

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a psychostimulant widely misused to increase wakefulness by drivers and students. Also, MPH can be found in dietary supplements in a clandestine manner aiming to burst performance of physical exercise practitioners. The abusive use of high doses of caffeine (CAF) in these contexts is equally already known. Here, we demonstrate the behavioral, oxidative and mitochondrial effects after acute exposure to high doses of MPH (80 mg/L) and CAF (150 mg/L), alone or associated (80 mg/L + 150 mg/L, respectively). We used zebrafish as animal model due to its high translational relevance. We evaluated the behavioral effects using the Novel Tank Test (NTT), Social Preference Test (SPT) and Y-maze Task and analyzed biomarkers of oxidative stress and activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. MPH alone induced antisocial behavior. MPH inhibited lipid peroxidation. The association of MPH + CAF presented memory impairment and anxiogenic behavior. In oxidative status, it inhibited lipid peroxidation, increased protein carbonylation and mitochondrial complex II, III and IV activity. Our results demonstrate that MPH and CAF alone negatively impact the typical behavioral of zebrafish. When associated, changes in cognition, memory, oxidative and mitochondrial status are more relevant.