Occurrence of iodinated X-ray contrast media in indirect potable reuse systems

The behavior of pharmaceutically active compounds and contrast agents during wastewater treatment - Combining sampling strategies and analytical techniques: A critical review

Increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals and the respective consequences for the aquatic environment have been the focus of many studies over the last thirty years. Various aspects in this field were investigated, considering diverse pharmaceutical groups and employing a wide range of research methodologies. Various questions from the perspectives of different research areas were devised and answered, resulting in a large mix of individual findings and conclusions. Collectively, the results of the studies offer a comprehensive overview. The large variety of methods and strategies, however, demands close attention when comparing and combining information from heterogeneous projects. This review critically examines the application of diverse sampling techniques as well as analytical methods in investigations concerning the behavior of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and contrast agents (CAs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The combination of sampling and analysis is discussed with regard to its suitability for specific scientific problems. Different research focuses need different methods and answer different questions. An overview of studies dealing with the fate and degradation of PhACs and CAs in WWTPs is presented, discussing their strategic approaches and findings. This review includes surveys of anticancer drugs, antibiotics, analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, antidiabetics, beta blockers, hormonal contraceptives, lipid lowering agents, antidepressants as well as contrast agents for X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging.

Improved reductive transformation of iopromide by magnetite containing reduced graphene oxide nanosacks as electron shuttles

The novel application of magnetite containing reduced graphene oxide nanosacks (MrGO-N) as electron shuttles to improve the reductive degradation of pharmaceutical pollutant, iopromide (IOP), was evaluated. The MrGO-N were synthesized by ultrasonicated nebulization process, and their physicochemical characterization was performed by potentiometric titrations, zeta potential, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction, as well as by Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. Results demonstrated the thermal reduction of precursor graphene oxide sheets, the removal of different oxygenated groups, and the successful assembly of magnetite nanoparticles (MNP) in the graphene sacks. Also, reduction experiments revealed 72 % of IOP removal efficiency and up to 2.5-fold faster degradation of this pollutant performed with MrGO-N as redox catalysts in batch assays and with sulfide as electron donor. Chemical transformation pathway of IOP provides evidence of complete dehalogenation and further transformation of aromatic ring substituents. Greater redox-mediating ability of MrGO-N was observed, which was reflected in the catalytic activity of these nanomaterials during the reductive degradation of IOP. Transformation byproducts with simpler chemical structure were identified, which could lead to complete degradation by conventional methodologies in a complementary treatment process. Redox-mediating activity of MrGO-N could potentially be applied in wastewater treatment systems in order to facilitate the biodegradation of priority contaminants.

Tailoring partially reduced graphene oxide as redox mediator for enhanced biotransformation of iopromide under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions

This work reports the first successful application of graphene oxide (GO) and partially reduced GO (rGO) as redox mediator (RM) to increase the biotransformation of the recalcitrant iodinated contrast medium, iopromide (IOP). Results showed that GO-based materials promoted up to 5.5 and 2.8-fold faster biotransformation of IOP by anaerobic sludge under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions, respectively. Correlation between the extent of reduction of GO and its redox-mediating capacity was demonstrated, which was reflected in faster removal and greater extent of biotransformation of IOP. Further analysis indicated that the biotransformation pathway of IOP involved multiple reactions including deiodination, decarboxylation, demethylation, dehydration and N-dealkylation. GO-based materials could be strategically tailored and integrated in biological treatment systems to effectively enhance the redox conversion of recalcitrant pollutants commonly found in wastewater treatment systems and industrial effluents.

Iodinated X-ray contrast agents: Photoinduced transformation and monitoring in surface water

Conventional wastewater treatment methods have shown to be unsuitable for a complete elimination of iodinated X-ray contrast agents (ICMs), which have thus been found in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent and in surface water. Once in the surface water, they could be transformed through different processes and form several transformation products that may need to be monitored as well. To this end, we studied the abatement and transformation of ICMs by combining laboratory experiments with in field analyses. We irradiated different aqueous solutions of the selected pollutants in the presence of TiO₂ as photocatalyst, aimed to promote ICMs degradation and to generate photoinduced transformation products (TPs) similar to those occurring in the environment and effluent wastewater. This experimental strategy has been applied to the study of three ICMs, namely iopromide, iopamidol and diatrizoate. A total of twenty-four, ten, and ten TPs were detected from iopamidol, diatrizoate and iopromide, respectively. The analyses were performed using a liquid chromatography-LTQ-FT-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The mineralization process and acute toxicity evolution were assessed as well over time and revealed a lack of mineralization for all ICMs and the formation of harmful byproducts. After characterizing these transformation products, WWTP effluent and surface water taken from several branches of the Chicago River were analyzed for ICMs and their TPs. HRMS with MS/MS fragmentation was used as a confirmatory step for proper identification of compounds in water and wastewater samples. All three of ICM were detected in the effluent and surface water samples, while no significant amount of TPs were detected.

Photodecomposition of iodinated contrast media and subsequent formation of toxic iodinated moieties during final disinfection with chlorinated oxidants

Large amount of iodinated contrast media (ICM) are found in natural waters (up to μg.L(-)(1) levels) due to their worldwide use in medical imaging and their poor removal by conventional wastewater treatment. Synthetic water samples containing different ICM and natural organic matter (NOM) extracts were subjected to UV254 irradiation followed by the addition of chlorine (HOCl) or chloramine (NH2Cl) to simulate final disinfection. In this study, two new quantum yields were determined for diatrizoic acid (0.071 mol.Einstein(-1)) and iotalamic acid (0.038 mol.Einstein(-1)) while values for iopromide (IOP) (0.039 mol.Einstein(-1)), iopamidol (0.034 mol.Einstein(-1)) and iohexol (0.041 mol.Einstein(-1)) were consistent with published data. The photodegradation of IOP led to an increasing release of iodide with increasing UV doses. Iodide is oxidized to hypoiodous acid (HOI) either by HOCl or NH2Cl. In presence of NOM, the addition of oxidant increased the formation of iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs). On one hand, when the concentration of HOCl was increased, the formation of I-DBPs decreased since HOI was converted to iodate. On the other hand, when NH2Cl was used the formation of I-DBPs was constant for all concentration since HOI reacted only with NOM to form I-DBPs. Increasing the NOM concentration has two effects, it decreased the photodegradation of IOP by screening effect but it increased the number of reactive sites available for reaction with HOI. For experiments carried out with HOCl, increasing the NOM concentration led to a lower formation of I-DBPs since less IOP are photodegraded and iodate are formed. For NH2Cl the lower photodegradation of IOP is compensated by the higher amount of NOM reactive sites, therefore, I-DBPs concentrations were constant for all NOM concentrations. 7 different NOM extracts were tested and almost no differences in IOP degradation and I-DBPs formation was observed. Similar behaviour was observed for the 5 ICM tested. Both oxidant poorly degraded the ICM and a higher formation of I-DBPs was observed for the chloramination experiments compared to the chlorination experiment. Results from toxicity testing showed that the photodegradation products of IOP are toxic and confirmed that the formation of I-DBPs leads to higher toxicity. Therefore, for the experiment with HOCl where iodate are formed the toxicity was lower than for the experiments with NH2Cl where a high formation of I-DBPs was observed.

Use of orbitrap-MS/MS and QSAR analyses to estimate mutagenic transformation products of iopamidol generated during ozonation and chlorination

The effects of two water purification processes (ozonation, and chlorination after ozonation) on the mutagenicity of a solution containing iopamidol (X-ray contrast medium) were investigated by using the Ames assay. No mutagenicity was observed during ozonation. In contrast, mutagenicity was induced by the ozone-treated iopamidol-containing solution after subsequent chlorination, indicating that mutagenic transformation-products (TPs) were generated. Ten of 70 peaks detected on the LC/MS total ion chromatogram (TIC) of the ozone-treated iopamidol-containing solution after chlorination had a positive correlation (r(2) > 0.6) between their peak areas and the observed mutagenicity, suggesting that TPs detected as these peaks may induce mutagenicity. To narrow down the possible contributors to the observed mutagenicity, we compared the areas of the peaks on the TIC-charts with and without chlorination. Of the ten peaks, six were also detected in the ozone-treated iopamidol-containing solution without chlorination, which did not induce mutagenicity, indicating that these peaks were not related to the observed mutagenicity. Accurate m/z values and MS/MS analysis with an orbitrap MS of the remaining four peaks revealed that two of them represented the same TP in the negative and positive ion modes. The three remaining TPs were assessed in four quantitative structure-activity relationship models for predicting Ames mutagenicity. At least one model predicted that two of the three TPs were mutagenic, whereas none of the models predicted that the other TP was a mutagen, suggesting that the former TPs, estimated as N1-acetyl-5-amino-6-chloro-2-iodobenzene-1,3-dicarboxamide and 3-hydroxy-2-{3-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)carbonyl]-2,4,6-triiodo-5-nitrobenzoyl}amino)propanoic acid, could be the candidate compounds that contributed to the observed mutagenicity.

Iodinated contrast media electro-degradation: process performance and degradation pathways

The electrochemical degradation of six of the most widely used iodinated contrast media was investigated. Batch experiments were performed under constant current conditions using two DSA® electrodes (titanium coated with a proprietary and patented mixed metal oxide solution of precious metals such as iridium, ruthenium, platinum, rhodium and tantalum). The degradation removal never fell below 85% (at a current density of 64 mA/cm(2) with a reaction time of 150 min) when perchlorate was used as the supporting electrolyte; however, when sulphate was used, the degradation performance was above 80% (at a current density of 64 mA/cm(2) with a reaction time of 150 min) for all of the compounds studied. Three main degradation pathways were identified, namely, the reductive de-iodination of the aromatic ring, the reduction of alkyl aromatic amides to simple amides and the de-acylation of N-aromatic amides to produce aromatic amines. However, as amidotrizoate is an aromatic carboxylate, this is added via the decarboxylation reaction. The investigation did not reveal toxicity except for the lower current density used, which has shown a modest toxicity, most likely for some reaction intermediates that are not further degraded. In order to obtain total removal of the contrast media, it was necessary to employ a current intensity between 118 and 182 mA/cm(2) with energy consumption higher than 370 kWh/m(3). Overall, the electrochemical degradation was revealed to be a reliable process for the treatment of iodinated contrast media that can be found in contaminated waters such as hospital wastewater or pharmaceutical waste-contaminated streams.

Which chemicals drive biological effects in wastewater and recycled water?

Removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater during secondary treatment followed by reverse osmosis and UV disinfection was evaluated by a combination of four in-vitro cell-based bioassays and chemical analysis of 299 organic compounds. Concentrations detected in recycled water were below the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. Thus the detected chemicals were considered not to pose any health risk. The detected pesticides in the wastewater treatment plant effluent and partially advanced treated water explained all observed effects on photosynthesis inhibition. In contrast, mixture toxicity experiments with designed mixtures containing all detected chemicals at their measured concentrations demonstrated that the known chemicals explained less than 3% of the observed cytotoxicity and less than 1% of the oxidative stress response. Pesticides followed by pharmaceuticals and personal care products dominated the observed mixture effects. The detected chemicals were not related to the observed genotoxicity. The large proportion of unknown toxicity calls for effect monitoring complementary to chemical monitoring.

Sources and processes affecting the spatio-temporal distribution of pharmaceuticals and X-ray contrast media in the water resources of the Lower Jordan Valley, Jordan

The closed basin of the Lower Jordan Valley with the Dead Sea as final sink features high evapotranspiration rates and almost complete reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation farming. This study focuses on the water transfer schemes and the presence, spreading, and potential accumulation of pharmaceutical residues in the local water resources based on findings of a five-year monitoring program. Overall 16 pharmaceuticals and 9 iodinated X-ray contrast media were monitored in groundwater, surface water, and treated wastewater. A total of 95 samples were taken to cover all geographical settings and flow paths from origin (wastewater) to target (groundwater). Nine substances were detected in groundwater, with concentrations ranging between 11 ng/L and 33,000 ng/L. Sometimes, detection rates were higher than in comparable studies: Diatrizoic acid 75%, iopamidol 42%, iopromide 19%, iomeprol 11%, carbamazepine and iohexol 8%, ibuprofen 6%, and fenofibrate and iothalamic acid 3%. Concentrations in groundwater generally increase from north to south depending on the application of treated wastewater for irrigation. Almost all substances occurred most frequently and with highest concentrations in treated wastewater, followed by surface water and groundwater. As exception, diatrizoic acid was found more frequently in groundwater than in treated wastewater, with concentrations being similar. This indicates the persistence of diatrizoic acid with long residence times in local groundwater systems, but may also reflect changing prescription patterns, which would be in accordance with increasing iopamidol findings and surveys at local hospitals. Trend analyses confirm this finding and indicate a high probability of increasing iopamidol concentrations, while other substances did not reveal any trends. However, no proof of evaporative enrichment could be found. The high spatial and temporal variability of the concentrations measured calls for further systematic studies to assess the long-term evolution of organic trace substances in this reuse setting.