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Earl K, Sleight H, Ashfield N, Boxall ABA. Are pharmaceutical residues in crops a threat to human health? JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2024; 87:773-791. [PMID: 38959023 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2024.2371418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The application of biosolids, manure, and slurry onto agricultural soils and the growing use of treated wastewater in agriculture result in the introduction of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals to the environment. Once in the soil environment, pharmaceuticals may be taken up by crops, resulting in consequent human exposure to pharmaceutical residues. The potential side effects of pharmaceuticals administered in human medicine are widely documented; however, far less is known regarding the risks that arise from incidental dietary exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate human exposure to pharmaceutical residues in crops and assess the associated risk to health for a range of pharmaceuticals frequently detected in soils. Estimated concentrations of carbamazepine, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and tetracycline in soil were used in conjunction with plant uptake and crop consumption data to estimate daily exposures to each compound. Exposure concentrations were compared to Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADIs) to determine the level of risk. Generally, exposure concentrations were lower than ADIs. The exceptions were carbamazepine, and trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole under conservative, worst-case scenarios, where a potential risk to human health was predicted. Future research therefore needs to prioritize investigation into the health effects following exposure to these compounds from consumption of contaminated crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Earl
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, Heslington, UK
| | - Harriet Sleight
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, Heslington, UK
| | - Nahum Ashfield
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, Heslington, UK
| | - Alistair B A Boxall
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, Heslington, UK
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2
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Boxall ABA, Collins R, Wilkinson JL, Swan C, Bouzas-Monroy A, Jones J, Winter E, Leach J, Juta U, Deacon A, Townsend I, Kerr P, Paget R, Rogers M, Greaves D, Turner D, Pearson C. Pharmaceutical Pollution of the English National Parks. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 39138896 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
England's 10 national parks are renowned for their landscapes, wildlife, and recreational value. However, surface waters in the national parks may be vulnerable to pollution from human-use chemicals, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), because of factors like ineffective wastewater treatment, seasonal tourism, a high proportion of elderly residents, and the presence of low-flow water bodies that limit dilution. The present study determined the extent of API contamination in the English national parks by monitoring 54 APIs in 37 rivers across all national parks over two seasons. Results were compared to existing data sets for UK cities and to concentration thresholds for ecological impacts and antimicrobial resistance selection. Results revealed widespread contamination of the national parks, with APIs detected at 52 out of 54 sites and in both seasons. Thirty-one APIs were detected, with metformin, caffeine, and paracetamol showing the highest mean concentrations and cetirizine, metformin, and fexofenadine being the most frequently detected. While total API concentrations were generally lower than seen previously in UK cities, locations in the Peak District and Exmoor had higher concentrations than most city rivers. Fourteen locations had concentrations of either amitriptyline, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, diltiazem, metformin, paracetamol, or propranolol above levels of concern for fish, invertebrates, and algae or for selection for antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, API pollution of the English national parks appears to pose risks to ecological health and potentially human health through recreational water use. Given that these parks are biodiversity hotspots with protected ecosystems, there is an urgent need for improved monitoring and management of pharmaceutical pollution and pollution more generally not only in national parks in England but also in similar environments across the world. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-14. © 2024 The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair B A Boxall
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Collins
- The Rivers Trust, Callington, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - John L Wilkinson
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Swan
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | | | - Josh Jones
- The Rivers Trust, Callington, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Winter
- River Waveney Trust, Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom
| | - Jessie Leach
- The Rivers Trust, Callington, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Ursula Juta
- Norfolk Rivers Trust, Holt, Norfolk, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Deacon
- Wessex Rivers Trust, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Townsend
- Westcountry Rivers Trust, Callington, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Kerr
- Northumberland Rivers Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Paget
- Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, Lewes, East Sussex, United Kingdom
| | | | - Dave Greaves
- Eden Rivers Trust, Penrith, Cumbria, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Turner
- The Rivers Trust, Callington, Cornwall, United Kingdom
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3
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Ahkola H, Äystö L, Sikanen T, Riikonen S, Pihlaja T, Kauppi S. Current uncertainties and challenges of publicly available pharmaceutical environmental risk assessment data. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 197:106769. [PMID: 38631463 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical residues are widely detected in aquatic environment worldwide mainly arising from human excretions in sewage systems. Presently, publicly available, high quality environmental risk assessment (ERA) data for pharmaceuticals are limited. However, databases like the Swedish Fass offer valuable resources aiding healthcare professionals and environmental scientists in identifying substances of significant concern. In this review, we provide a concise overview of the regulatory ERA process for medicinal products intended for human use. We explore its key assumptions and uncertainties using a subset of 37 pharmaceuticals. First, we compare the consistency of their predicted no-effect concentrations reported in the Fass database with those by marketing authorisation holders. Second, we compare the predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) calculated based on sales data between European and national drug consumption statistics as well as with measured environmental concentrations (MEC), to demonstrate their impact on the regional risk quotients. Finally, we briefly discuss the prevailing uncertainties and challenges of current ecotoxicity testing, especially outcomes of chronic and nonlethal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Ahkola
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - L Äystö
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Sikanen
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - S Riikonen
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Pihlaja
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - S Kauppi
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
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4
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Meador JP, Ball SC, James CA, McIntyre JK. Using the fish plasma model to evaluate potential effects of pharmaceuticals in effluent from a large urban wastewater treatment plant. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123842. [PMID: 38554836 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Several pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were evaluated using the fish plasma model (FPM) for juvenile Chinook salmon exposed to effluent from a large urban wastewater treatment plant. The FPM compares fish plasma concentrations to therapeutic values determined in human plasma as an indication of potential adverse effects. We used human Cmax values, which are the maximum plasma concentration for a minimum therapeutic dose. Observed and predicted plasma concentrations from juvenile Chinook salmon exposed to a dilution series of whole wastewater effluent were compared to 1%Cmax values to determine Response Ratios (RR) ([plasma]/1%Cmax) for assessment of possible adverse effects. Several PPCPs were found to approach or exceed an RR of 1, indicating potential effects in fish. We also predicted plasma concentrations from measured water concentrations and determined that several of the values were close to or below the analytical reporting limit (RL) indicating potential plasma concentrations for a large number of PPCPs that were below detection. Additionally, the 1%Cmax was less than the RL for several analytes, which could impede predictions of possible effect concentrations. A comparison of observed and predicted plasma concentrations found that observed values were frequently much higher than values predicted with water concentrations, especially for low log10Dow compounds. The observed versus predicted values using the human volume of distribution (Vd), were generally much closer in agreement. These data appear to support the selection of whole-body concentrations to predict plasma values, which relies more on estimating simple partitioning within the fish instead of uptake via water. Overall, these observations highlight the frequently underestimated predicted plasma concentrations and potential to cause adverse effects in fish. Using measured plasma concentrations or predicted values from whole-body concentrations along with improved prediction models and reductions in analytical detection limits will foster more accurate risk assessments of pharmaceutical exposure for fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Meador
- University of Washington, Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA, 98105-6099, USA.
| | - Suzanne C Ball
- Washington State University, School of the Environment, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, 2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA, 98371, USA.
| | - C Andrew James
- University of Washington Tacoma, Center for Urban Waters, 326 East D Street, Tacoma, WA, 98421-1801, USA.
| | - Jenifer K McIntyre
- Washington State University, School of the Environment, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, 2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA, 98371, USA.
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5
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Castaño-Trias M, Rodríguez-Mozaz S, Verlicchi P, Buttiglieri G. Selection of pharmaceuticals of concern in reclaimed water for crop irrigation in the Mediterranean area. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133538. [PMID: 38290335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The reuse of reclaimed water in agriculture is being fostered in areas suffering from water scarcity. However, water pollutants can compromise food safety and pose a risk for the environment. This study aims to select the pharmaceutical compounds worth monitoring and investigating when reclaimed water is used for tomato and lettuce irrigation. A comprehensive study was first conducted to identify the pharmaceuticals frequently detected in secondary wastewater effluents in Catalonia (Northeast Spain). Priority pharmaceuticals were further selected based on their occurrence in secondary effluents, persistence (removal in conventional treatment), bioaccumulation potential, toxicity for aquatic organisms, and the risks they pose to the terrestrial environment and human health (through the consumption of crops). Out of the 47 preselected priority compounds, six could pose a risk to organisms living in soil irrigated with reclaimed water and seven could be potentially taken up by the crops. Nonetheless, no risk for human consumption was foreseen.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Castaño-Trias
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), C/Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Spain
| | - S Rodríguez-Mozaz
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), C/Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Spain.
| | - P Verlicchi
- Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - G Buttiglieri
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), C/Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Spain.
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6
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Margiotta-Casaluci L, Owen SF, Winter MJ. Cross-Species Extrapolation of Biological Data to Guide the Environmental Safety Assessment of Pharmaceuticals-The State of the Art and Future Priorities. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024; 43:513-525. [PMID: 37067359 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The extrapolation of biological data across species is a key aspect of biomedical research and drug development. In this context, comparative biology considerations are applied with the goal of understanding human disease and guiding the development of effective and safe medicines. However, the widespread occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment and the need to assess the risk posed to wildlife have prompted a renewed interest in the extrapolation of pharmacological and toxicological data across the entire tree of life. To address this challenge, a biological "read-across" approach, based on the use of mammalian data to inform toxicity predictions in wildlife species, has been proposed as an effective way to streamline the environmental safety assessment of pharmaceuticals. Yet, how effective has this approach been, and are we any closer to being able to accurately predict environmental risk based on known human risk? We discuss the main theoretical and experimental advancements achieved in the last 10 years of research in this field. We propose that a better understanding of the functional conservation of drug targets across species and of the quantitative relationship between target modulation and adverse effects should be considered as future research priorities. This pharmacodynamic focus should be complemented with the application of higher-throughput experimental and computational approaches to accelerate the prediction of internal exposure dynamics. The translation of comparative (eco)toxicology research into real-world applications, however, relies on the (limited) availability of experts with the skill set needed to navigate the complexity of the problem; hence, we also call for synergistic multistakeholder efforts to support and strengthen comparative toxicology research and education at a global level. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:513-525. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stewart F Owen
- Global Sustainability, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Winter
- Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
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7
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Mo J, Guo J, Iwata H, Diamond J, Qu C, Xiong J, Han J. What Approaches Should be Used to Prioritize Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products for Research on Environmental and Human Health Exposure and Effects? ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024; 43:488-501. [PMID: 36377688 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are released from multiple anthropogenic sources and thus have a ubiquitous presence in the environment. The environmental exposure and potential effects of PPCPs on biota and humans has aroused concern within the scientific community and the public. Risk assessments are commonly conducted to evaluate the likelihood of chemicals including PPCPs that pose health threats to organisms inhabiting various environmental compartments and humans. Because thousands of PPCPs are currently used, it is impractical to assess the environmental risk of all of them due to data limitations; in addition, new PPCPs are continually being produced. Prioritization approaches, based either on exposure, hazard, or risk, provide a possible means by which those PPCPs that are likely to pose the greatest risk to the environment are identified, thereby enabling more effective allocation of resources in environmental monitoring programs in specific geographical locations and ecotoxicological investigations. In the present review, the importance and current knowledge concerning PPCP occurrence and risk are discussed and priorities for future research are proposed, in terms of PPCP exposure (e.g., optimization of exposure modeling in freshwater ecosystems and more monitoring of PPCPs in the marine environment) or hazard (e.g., differential risk of PPCPs to lower vs. higher trophic level species and risks to human health). Recommended research questions for the next 10 years are also provided, which can be answered by future studies on prioritization of PPCPs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:488-501. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiezhang Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, Shantou University, Shantou, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiahua Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hisato Iwata
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | | | - Chengkai Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiuqiang Xiong
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Jie Han
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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8
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Faysal AA, Kaya SI, Cetinkaya A, Ozkan SA, Gölcü A. The Effect of Polymerization Techniques on the Creation of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Sensors and Their Application on Pharmaceutical Compounds. Crit Rev Anal Chem 2024:1-20. [PMID: 38252120 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2023.2301652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have become more prevalent in fabricating sensor applications, particularly in medicine, pharmaceuticals, food quality monitoring, and the environment. The ease of their preparation, adaptability of templates, superior affinity and specificity, improved stability, and the possibility for downsizing are only a few benefits of these sensors. Moreover, from a medical perspective, monitoring therapeutic medications and determining pharmaceutical compounds in their pharmaceutical forms and biological systems is very important. Additionally, because medications are hazardous to the environment, effective, quick, and affordable determination in the surrounding environment is of major importance. Concerning a variety of performance criteria, including sensitivity, specificity, low detection limits, and affordability, MIP sensors outperform other published technologies for analyzing pharmaceutical drugs. MIP sensors have, therefore, been widely used as one of the most crucial techniques for analyzing pharmaceuticals. The first part of this review provides a detailed explanation of the many polymerization techniques that were employed to create high-performing MIP sensors. In the subsequent section of the review, the utilization of MIP-based sensors for quantifying the drugs in their pharmaceutical preparation, biological specimens, and environmental samples are covered in depth. Finally, a critical evaluation of the potential future research paths for MIP-based sensors clarifies the use of MIP in pharmaceutical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Al Faysal
- Faculty of Sciences and Letters, Department of Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - S Irem Kaya
- Gulhane Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Ahmet Cetinkaya
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ankara University, Türkiye
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Türkiye
| | - Sibel A Ozkan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ankara University, Türkiye
| | - Ayşegül Gölcü
- Faculty of Sciences and Letters, Department of Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Türkiye
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9
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Capela R, Castro LF, Santos MM, Garric J. Development of a Lymnaea stagnalis embryo bioassay for chemicals hazard assessment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168061. [PMID: 37926257 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The validation of high-throughput toxicity tests with invertebrate species is a key priority to improve hazard assessment of new chemicals and increase the available test guidelines with organisms from a representative set of taxa. This work aimed to contribute to the validation of an embryo test with the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis, which has been identified by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as a potential invertebrate test model, and provide the basis for such an endeavor. Recently, a L. stagnalis reproductive test was standardized by the OECD. However, to encompass the entire life cycle, it is crucial to addresses embryogenic development - a phase highly susceptible to various anthropogenic chemicals, which is covered in the proposed methodology. The approach used in the present study is in line with the OECD guidelines and other published studies, namely the Detailed Review Paper (DRP) on Mollusks life-cycle toxicity testing. Here, the assay quality criteria such as basal mortality and abnormality rates, development, growth and hatching rates, the appropriated testing media, and the optimal assay duration were investigated. Cadmium was chosen as the positive test substance, due to the available data and the verified model sensitivity to this compound, namely in the OECD reproductive test validation process. The obtained data demonstrate that L. stagnalis embryogenesis using the developed methodology is highly sensitive to cadmium. High concentration-response correlation was observed using this reference compound, the EC10 and EC50 for growth are 13.57 and 21.84 μg/L, respectively, after 168 h of exposure. The development EC's 10 and 50 were 15.75 and 38.66 μg/L, respectively, after 240 h. This demonstrates the model sensitivity to this compound when compared with other embryo test models, as well as the model sensitivity during the embryogenesis, if compared with the adult stage. Further, given the determined sensitivity parameters, and incubation times, the test can be performed at 240 h as over 95 % of the control embryos were hatched and no further significant changes in the exposure groups were determined. Overall, the findings of the present study demonstrate that the embryo test with L. stagnalis has potential to high-throughput testing and the model has a high sensitivity to cadmium during this life cycle period. The background data provide by this study will be essential to foster the future standardization of this assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Capela
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; INRAE - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment - Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua, CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne Cedex, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France
| | - Luís Filipe Castro
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Machado Santos
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Jeanne Garric
- INRAE - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment - Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua, CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne Cedex, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
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10
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Puhlmann N, Vidaurre R, Kümmerer K. Designing greener active pharmaceutical ingredients: Insights from pharmaceutical industry into drug discovery and development. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 192:106614. [PMID: 37858896 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), their metabolites and transformation products (TPs) are found as pollutants in the environment. They can impact human and environmental health. To address this issue, an efficient, long-term prevention strategy could be the design of APIs that have less impact on the natural environment, i.e. the design of greener APIs, by the implementation of environmental parameters into the drug discovery and development process (also abbreviated R&D for 'research and development'). Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the design of greener APIs based on insights from drug design experts working in large, research-based pharmaceutical companies. The feasibility evaluation also identified needs and incentives for process modification. For this purpose, 30 R&D and environmental experts from seven globally active pharmaceutical companies were interviewed along a structured questionnaire. Main findings are that the interviewed experts saw manifold opportunities to include properties rendering APIs greener in different stages along the R&D process. This implementation would be favoured by the fact that the pharmaceutical R&D process is very flexible and relies on balancing multiple parameters. Furthermore, some API properties that reduce environmental risks were considered compatible with common desirable properties for application. Environmental properties should be considered early during R&D, i.e. when molecules are screened and optimized. It has been found that availability of suitable in silico models and in vitro assays is crucial for this environmental consideration. Their attributes, e.g. throughput and costs, determine at which process stage they can be successfully applied. An intensified exchange between R&D and environmental experts within and outside companies would push the industrial application of the benign by design approach for APIs forward. Collaboration across pharmaceutical companies, authorities, and academia is seen as highly promising in this respect. Financial, social, and regulatory incentives would support future design of greener APIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neele Puhlmann
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Vidaurre
- Ecologic Institute, Pfalzburger Strasse 43/44, 10717 Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Kümmerer
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany; Research and Education Hub, International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Center ISC3, Niedersachsen, Germany.
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11
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Cannata C, Backhaus T, Bramke I, Caraman M, Lombardo A, Whomsley R, Moermond CTA, Ragas AMJ. Prioritisation of data-poor pharmaceuticals for empirical testing and environmental risk assessment. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 183:108379. [PMID: 38154319 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
There are more than 3,500 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) on the global market for human and veterinary use. Residues of these APIs eventually reach the aquatic environment. Although an environmental risk assessment (ERA) for marketing authorization applications of medicinal products is mandatory in the European Union since 2006, an ERA is lacking for most medicines approved prior to 2006 (legacy APIs). Since it is unfeasible to perform extensive ERA tests for all these legacy APIs, there is a need for prioritization of testing based on the limited data available. Prioritized APIs can then be further investigated to estimate their environmental risk in more detail. In this study, we prioritized more than 1,000 APIs used in Europe based on their predicted risk for aquatic freshwater ecosystems. We determined their risk by combining an exposure estimate (Measured or Predicted Environmental Concentration; MEC or PEC, respectively) with a Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC). We developed several procedures to combine the limited empirical data available with in silico data, resulting in multiple API rankings varying in data needs and level of conservativeness. In comparing empirical with in silico data, our analysis confirmed that the PEC estimated with the default parameters used by the European Medicines Agency often - but not always - represents a worst-case scenario. Comparing the ecotoxicological data for the three main taxonomic groups, we found that fish represents the most sensitive species group for most of the APIs in our list. We furthermore show that the use of in silico tools can result in a substantial underestimation of the ecotoxicity of APIs. After combining the different exposure and effect estimates into four risk rankings, the top-ranking APIs were further screened for availability of ecotoxicity data in data repositories. This ultimately resulted in the prioritization of 15 APIs for further ecotoxicological testing and/or exposure assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Cannata
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Irene Bramke
- Global Sustainability, AstraZeneca, Den Haag, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Caraman
- European Medicines Agency (EMA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Lombardo
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Rhys Whomsley
- European Medicines Agency (EMA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Caroline T A Moermond
- Centre for Safety of Substances and Products (VSP), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Ad M J Ragas
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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12
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Royano S, de la Torre A, Navarro I, Martínez MÁ. Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in surface water: Occurrence, trends and risk assessment in the Tagus River Basin (Spain). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167422. [PMID: 37774880 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the presence of 23 pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) including antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, psychiatric and cardiovascular drugs, antifungals and metabolites was investigated in surface waters. A total of 89 samples were collected during 3 years (2020, 2021 and 2022) from a European representative river basin (Tagus, Spain). To elucidate PhAC potential sources, sampling points located in areas with low, median and high anthropogenic influence were selected. The analytical method based on solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis was validated meeting SANTE/2020/12830 and SANTE/12682/2019 performance criteria. PhACs were quantified above limits of quantification (LOQs) in 96 % of water samples, being the antihypertensives valsartan (648 ng/L, 87 % quantification frequency) and irbesartan (390 ng/L, 75 %) and the antidepressant o-desmethylvenlafaxine (495 ng/L, 76 %) the predominant pollutants. The rest of the target PhACs showed median concentrations between 4 and 172 ng/L with quantification frequencies ranging from 35 to 75 %. ∑PhAC concentrations did not show temporal or seasonal trends. However, valsartan and naproxen presented lower levels in drier (spring and summer) compared to the wetter. Source identification revealed a clear anthropogenic origin since concentrations obtained in highly populated areas were statistically higher (p < 0.01) than those quantified in sparsely populated ones. This finding was also confirmed by calculating PhACs mass flow rates, which ranged between 1.4 and 235 kg/y. Finally, data generated were used to estimate the potential risk to the aquatic ecosystem for three trophic levels (phototrophic, invertebrate and vertebrate organisms). Risk quotient ratios (RQs) were calculated for all PhACs at the median (P50) and worst-case (max) scenarios. Up to 7 PhACs (acetaminophen, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, irbesartan, ketoprofen and venlafaxine) showed high risk for the highest trophic level (fish) in >45 % of investigated locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Royano
- Unit of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Emerging Pollutants in the Environment, Department of Environment, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain; International Doctoral School of the UNED (EIDUNED), National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián de la Torre
- Unit of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Emerging Pollutants in the Environment, Department of Environment, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Irene Navarro
- Unit of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Emerging Pollutants in the Environment, Department of Environment, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Martínez
- Unit of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Emerging Pollutants in the Environment, Department of Environment, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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13
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Glassmeyer ST, Burns EE, Focazio MJ, Furlong ET, Gribble MO, Jahne MA, Keely SP, Kennicutt AR, Kolpin DW, Medlock Kakaley EK, Pfaller SL. Water, Water Everywhere, but Every Drop Unique: Challenges in the Science to Understand the Role of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Management of Drinking Water Supplies. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000716. [PMID: 38155731 PMCID: PMC10753268 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The protection and management of water resources continues to be challenged by multiple and ongoing factors such as shifts in demographic, social, economic, and public health requirements. Physical limitations placed on access to potable supplies include natural and human-caused factors such as aquifer depletion, aging infrastructure, saltwater intrusion, floods, and drought. These factors, although varying in magnitude, spatial extent, and timing, can exacerbate the potential for contaminants of concern (CECs) to be present in sources of drinking water, infrastructure, premise plumbing and associated tap water. This monograph examines how current and emerging scientific efforts and technologies increase our understanding of the range of CECs and drinking water issues facing current and future populations. It is not intended to be read in one sitting, but is instead a starting point for scientists wanting to learn more about the issues surrounding CECs. This text discusses the topical evolution CECs over time (Section 1), improvements in measuring chemical and microbial CECs, through both analysis of concentration and toxicity (Section 2) and modeling CEC exposure and fate (Section 3), forms of treatment effective at removing chemical and microbial CECs (Section 4), and potential for human health impacts from exposure to CECs (Section 5). The paper concludes with how changes to water quantity, both scarcity and surpluses, could affect water quality (Section 6). Taken together, these sections document the past 25 years of CEC research and the regulatory response to these contaminants, the current work to identify and monitor CECs and mitigate exposure, and the challenges facing the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan T. Glassmeyer
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and DevelopmentCincinnatiOHUSA
| | | | - Michael J. Focazio
- Retired, Environmental Health ProgramEcosystems Mission AreaU.S. Geological SurveyRestonVAUSA
| | - Edward T. Furlong
- Emeritus, Strategic Laboratory Sciences BranchLaboratory & Analytical Services DivisionU.S. Geological SurveyDenverCOUSA
| | - Matthew O. Gribble
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental HealthRollins School of Public HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGAUSA
| | - Michael A. Jahne
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and DevelopmentCincinnatiOHUSA
| | - Scott P. Keely
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and DevelopmentCincinnatiOHUSA
| | - Alison R. Kennicutt
- Department of Civil and Mechanical EngineeringYork College of PennsylvaniaYorkPAUSA
| | - Dana W. Kolpin
- U.S. Geological SurveyCentral Midwest Water Science CenterIowa CityIAUSA
| | | | - Stacy L. Pfaller
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and DevelopmentCincinnatiOHUSA
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14
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Ferreira CSS, Venâncio C, Kille P, Oliveira M. Are early and young life stages of fish affected by paroxetine? A case study with Danio rerio. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165706. [PMID: 37499832 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Paroxetine (PAR) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant increasingly detected in surface waters worldwide. Its environmental presence raises concerns about the potential detrimental effects on non-target organisms. Thus, this study aimed to increase knowledge on PAR's potential environmental impacts, assessing the effects of commercial formulation (PAR-c) and active ingredient (PAR-a) on fish. Therefore, the short-term exposure effects of PAR-c and PAR-a were assessed on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos/larvae to determine the most toxic formulation [through median lethal (LC50) and effective concentrations (EC50)]. PAR-c and PAR-a induced morphological abnormalities (scoliosis) in a dose-dependent manner from 96 hours post-fertilization onwards, suggesting the involvement of a fully functional biotransformation system. As PAR-c exhibited higher toxicity, it was selected to be tested in the subsequent stage (juvenile stage), which was more sensitive (lower LC50). PAR-c significantly decreased fish swimming activity and disrupted fish stress response. Overall, the results highlight the ability of PAR-c to adversely affect fish swimming performance, an effect that persisted even after exposure ceases (21-day depuration), suggesting that PAR-c may impair individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla S S Ferreira
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Cátia Venâncio
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Peter Kille
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Miguel Oliveira
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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15
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Sleight H, Boxall ABA, Toet S. Uptake of Pharmaceuticals by Crops: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2091-2104. [PMID: 37341550 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Studies on the uptake of pharmaceuticals from soils into crops were first conducted in the 2000s. Since then a wealth of such data has been generated, but to the best of our knowledge, these studies have not been systematically reviewed. We present a quantitative, systematic review of empirical data on the uptake of pharmaceuticals into crops. We developed a custom-made relational database on plant uptake of pharmaceuticals that contained details of the experimental design and associated results from 150 articles, spanning 173 pharmaceuticals, 78 study crops, and 8048 unique measurements. Analysis of the data in the database showed clear trends in experimental design, with lettuce being the most studied crop and carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole being the most studied pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical properties were found to create the greatest range in uptake concentrations of any single variable studied. Uptake concentrations were also found to vary between crops, with relatively high uptake concentrations identified in cress, lettuce, rice, and courgette crops. An understanding of the influence of soil properties on pharmaceutical uptake was limited by a lack of information on key soil properties across the published literature. The data comparisons were inhibited by differences in quality of the different studies. Moving forward, a framework for best practice in this field is needed to maximize the value and further applications of the data produced. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2091-2104. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Sleight
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Sylvia Toet
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
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16
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Welch SA, Moe SJ, Sharikabad MN, Tollefsen KE, Olsen K, Grung M. Predicting Environmental Risks of Pharmaceuticals from Wholesale Data: An Example from Norway. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2253-2270. [PMID: 37341554 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pharmaceuticals relies on available measured environmental concentrations, but often such data are sparse. Predicted environmental concentrations (PECs), calculated from sales weights, are an attractive alternative but often cover only prescription sales. We aimed to rank, by environmental risk in Norway, approximately 200 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) over 2016-2019, based on sales PECs. To assess the added value of wholesale and veterinary data, we compared exposure and risk predictions with and without these additional sources. Finally, we aimed to characterize the persistence, mobility, and bioaccumulation of these APIs. We compared our PECs to available Norwegian measurements, then, using public predicted-no-effect concentrations, we calculated risk quotients (RQs) and appended experimental and predicted persistence and bioaccumulation. Our approach overestimated environmental concentrations compared with measurements for 18 of 20 APIs with comparable predictions and measurements. Seventeen APIs had mean RQs >1, indicating potential risk, while the mean RQ was 2.05 and the median 0.001, driven by sex hormones, antibiotics, the antineoplastic abiraterone, and common painkillers. Some high-risk APIs were also potentially persistent or bioaccumulative (e.g., levonorgestrel [RQ = 220] and ciprofloxacin [RQ = 56]), raising the possibility of impacts beyond their RQs. Exposure and risk were also calculated with and without over-the-counter sales, showing that prescriptions explained 70% of PEC magnitude. Likewise, human sales, compared with veterinary, explained 85%. Sales PECs provide an efficient option for ERA, designed to overestimate compared with analytical techniques and potentially held back by limited data availability and an inability to quantify uncertainty but, nevertheless, an ideal initial approach for identification and ranking of risks. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2253-2270. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Merete Grung
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
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17
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Chen M, Hong Y, Jin X, Guo C, Zhao X, Liu N, Lu H, Liu Y, Xu J. Ranking the risks of eighty pharmaceuticals in surface water of a megacity: A multilevel optimization strategy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:163184. [PMID: 37001676 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals in freshwater posed ecological risks to aquatic ecosystem, however, most risk assessments of pharmaceuticals were conducted at screening level, which were limited by the availability of the toxicity data. In this study, risks of 80 pharmaceuticals including 35 antibiotics, 13 antiviral drugs, 13 illicit drugs, and 19 antidepressants in surface water of Beijing were assessed with a proposed multilevel environmental risk optimization strategy. Target pharmaceuticals were detected in surface water samples with the detection frequency from 1.7 % to 100 % and the total concentrations from 31.1 ng/L to 2708 ng/L. Antiviral drugs were the dominant pharmaceuticals. Preliminary screening-level risk assessment indicated that 20 pharmaceuticals posed low to high risks with risk quotient from 0.14 (chloroquine diphosphate) to 27.8 (clarithromycin). Thirteen pharmaceuticals were recognized with low to high risks by an optimized risk assessment method. Of them, the refined probabilistic risk assessment of joint probability curves coupling with a quantitative structure activity relationship-interspecies correlation estimation (QSAR-ICE) model was applied. Clarithromycin, erythromycin and ofloxacin were identified to pose low risks with maximum risk products (RP) of 1.23 %, 0.41 % and 0.35 %, respectively, while 10 pharmaceuticals posed de minimis risks. Structural equation modeling disclosed that human land use and climate conditions influenced the risks of pharmaceuticals by indirectly influencing the concentrations of pharmaceuticals. The results indicated that the multilevel strategy coupling with QSAR-ICE model was appropriate and effective for screening priority pollutants, and the strategy can be used to prioritize pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yajun Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Changsheng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Na Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Haijian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Jian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
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18
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Kim JY, Jeon J, Kim SD. Prioritization of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the surface waters of Korea: Application of an optimized risk-based methods. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 259:115024. [PMID: 37201424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of PPCPs in aquatic environments and their potential adverse effects on aquatic organisms have raised worldwide concerns. To address this issue, a study was conducted to analyze 137 selected PPCPs in Korean surface waters, and an optimized risk-based prioritization was performed. The results revealed that 120 PPCPs were detected, with 98 quantified at concentrations ranging from few ng/L to 42,733 ng/L for metformin. The 95% upper confidence limit (UCL95) of the mean value of the measured environmental concentration (MEC) for Metformin was about eight times higher than the second highest compound, dimethyl phthalate, indicating that antidiabetic groups had the highest concentration among the therapeutic groups. An optimized risk-based prioritization was then assessed based on the multiplication of two indicators, the Frequency of Exceedance and the Extent of Exceedance of Predicted No-Effect Concentrations (PNECs), which can be calculated using the traditional risk quotient (RQ) approach. The study found that clotrimazole had the highest risk quotient value of 17.4, indicating a high risk to aquatic organisms, with seven and 13 compounds showing RQ values above 1 and 0.1, respectively. After considering the frequency of exceedance, clotrimazole still had the highest novel risk quotient (RQf) value of 17.4, with 99.6% of its MECs exceeding PNECs. However, the number of compounds with RQf values above 1 decreased from seven to five, with cetirizine and flubendazole being excluded. Furthermore, only 10 compounds exhibited RQf values above 0.1. The study also observed significant differences in the results between risk-based and exposure-based prioritization methods, with only five compounds, cetirizine, olmesartan, climbazole, sulfapyridine, and imidacloprid, identified in both methods. This finding highlights the importance of considering multiple methods for prioritizing chemicals, as different approaches may yield different results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yub Kim
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdan-Gwagiro, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho Jeon
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo 51140, Republic of Korea; School of Smart and Green Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo 51140, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Don Kim
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdan-Gwagiro, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea.
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19
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Almeida A, De Mello-Sampayo C, Lopes A, Carvalho da Silva R, Viana P, Meisel L. Predicted Environmental Risk Assessment of Antimicrobials with Increased Consumption in Portugal during the COVID-19 Pandemic; The Groundwork for the Forthcoming Water Quality Survey. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12040652. [PMID: 37107014 PMCID: PMC10135311 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The environmental release of antimicrobial pharmaceuticals is an imminent threat due to ecological impacts and microbial resistance phenomena. The recent COVID-19 outbreak will likely lead to greater loads of antimicrobials in the environment. Thus, identifying the most used antimicrobials likely to pose environmental risks would be valuable. For that, the ambulatory and hospital consumption patterns of antimicrobials in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021) were compared with those of 2019. A predicted risk assessment screening approach based on exposure and hazard in the surface water was conducted, combining consumption, excretion rates, and ecotoxicological/microbiological endpoints in five different regions of Portugal. Among the 22 selected substances, only rifaximin and atovaquone demonstrated predicted potential ecotoxicological risks for aquatic organisms. Flucloxacillin, piperacillin, tazobactam, meropenem, ceftriaxone, fosfomycin, and metronidazole showed the most significant potential for antibiotic resistance in all analysed regions. Regarding the current screening approach and the lack of environmental data, it is advisable to consider rifaximin and atovaquone in subsequent water quality surveys. These results might support the forthcoming monitorisation of surface water quality in a post-pandemic survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabela Almeida
- Centro de Investigação Vasco da Gama (CIVG), Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama (EUVG), Campus Universitário de Lordemão, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (L.M.)
| | - Cristina De Mello-Sampayo
- Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Signaling and Neuroregeneration, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Lopes
- Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA), Rua da Murgueira, 9, 2610-124 Amadora, Portugal
| | - Rita Carvalho da Silva
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
- Biosafety Unit, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula Viana
- Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA), Rua da Murgueira, 9, 2610-124 Amadora, Portugal
| | - Leonor Meisel
- Laboratory of Systems Integration Pharmacology, Clinical and Regulatory Science, Research Institute for Medicines (iMED.Ulisboa), 1600-277 Lisbon, Portugal
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (L.M.)
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20
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Venkatachalam AB, Levesque B, Achenbach JC, Pappas JJ, Ellis LD. Long and Short Duration Exposures to the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Fluoxetine, Paroxetine and Sertraline at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations Lead to Adverse Effects on Zebrafish Behaviour and Reproduction. TOXICS 2023; 11:151. [PMID: 36851026 PMCID: PMC9966831 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently the most prescribed class of psychotropic medications. Their increased global manufacture and use have become growing concerns for aquatic toxicologists and environmental biologists, who assess both the direct and indirect effects of substances on the environment and on human health. In order to assess the potential impact of environmentally relevant levels of SSRIs on fish development, behaviour and reproduction, we exposed juvenile and adult zebrafish to a select group of SSRIs using two separate exposure paradigms. In the first paradigm, juvenile zebrafish were exposed to Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), Sertraline (Zoloft) or a mixture of the three beginning at environmentally relevant levels (10 µg/L) for 135 days (long-term exposure) beginning at 5 days post fertilization (dpf). In the second paradigm, adult zebrafish were exposed to matching concentrations of the same SSRIs for 35 days (short-term exposure). The long-term exposure paradigm proved to have little to no overt effect on growth or development at sub-lethal concentrations (10 and 100 µg/L). However, both the stress/anxiety response (novel tank tests) and reproduction (fecundity and fertility) were dramatically reduced. Importantly, the short-term exposure of reproductively mature fish led to similar adverse effects on both the stress response and reproduction. Following both the short and long duration exposure paradigms, a 2-week washout period led to a small reduction in the adverse effects. These findings highlight the potential for SSRIs to negatively impact population dynamics in zebrafish and may be of particular value should they be found in other fish species in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jane J. Pappas
- New Substances Assessment and Control Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Lee D. Ellis
- National Research Council, Halifax, NS B3H 3Z1, Canada
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21
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Coors A, Brown AR, Maynard SK, Nimrod Perkins A, Owen S, Tyler CR. Minimizing Experimental Testing on Fish for Legacy Pharmaceuticals. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:1721-1730. [PMID: 36653019 PMCID: PMC9893720 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
There was no regulatory requirement for ecotoxicological testing of human pharmaceuticals authorized before 2006, and many of these have little or no data available to assess their environmental risk. Motivated by animal welfare considerations, we developed a decision tree to minimize in vivo fish testing for such legacy active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The minimum no observed effect concentration (NOECmin, the lowest NOEC from chronic Daphnia and algal toxicity studies), the theoretical therapeutic water concentration (TWC, calculated using the fish plasma model), and the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) were used to derive API risk quotients (PEC/NOECmin and PEC/TWC). Based on a verification data set of 96 APIs, we show that by setting a threshold value of 0.001 for both risk quotients, the need for in vivo fish testing could potentially be reduced by around 35% without lowering the level of environmental protection. Hence, for most APIs, applying an assessment factor of 1000 (equivalent to the threshold of 0.001) to NOECmin substituted reliably for NOECfish, and TWC acted as an effective safety net for the others. In silico and in vitro data and mammalian toxicity data may further support the final decision on the need for fish testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Coors
- ECT
Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Böttgerstraße 2-14, 65439 Flörsheim/Main, Germany
| | - A. Ross Brown
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker
Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, Devon, U.K.
| | - Samuel K. Maynard
- Global
Sustainability, AstraZeneca, Eastbrook House, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8DU, U.K.
| | - Alison Nimrod Perkins
- Eli
Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285, United States
| | - Stewart Owen
- Global
Sustainability, AstraZeneca, Eastbrook House, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8DU, U.K.
| | - Charles R. Tyler
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker
Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, Devon, U.K.
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22
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Thornber K, Adshead F, Balayannis A, Brazier R, Brown R, Comber S, Court C, Davidson I, Depledge M, Farmer C, Gibb S, Hixson R, Kirchhelle C, Moore K, Motta M, Niemi L, Owen S, Pencheon D, Pfleger S, Pitchforth E, Powell N, Schmidt W, Smith R, Sowman G, Tyler-Batt W, Wilkinson H, Wilson EC, Fleming L, Gaze W, Tyler C. First, do no harm: time for a systems approach to address the problem of health-care-derived pharmaceutical pollution. Lancet Planet Health 2022; 6:e935-e937. [PMID: 36495886 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00309-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Thornber
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK.
| | | | | | - Richard Brazier
- Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water, and Waste, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Ross Brown
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Sean Comber
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Stuart Gibb
- Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Thurso, UK
| | - Richard Hixson
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Darlington, UK
| | | | - Keith Moore
- Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, Newton Abbot, UK
| | - Marco Motta
- NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Bodmin, UK
| | - Lydia Niemi
- Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Thurso, UK
| | | | - David Pencheon
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | | | - Neil Powell
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Truro, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lora Fleming
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
| | - William Gaze
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Charles Tyler
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
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23
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Whelan MJ, Linstead C, Worrall F, Ormerod SJ, Durance I, Johnson AC, Johnson D, Owen M, Wiik E, Howden NJK, Burt TP, Boxall A, Brown CD, Oliver DM, Tickner D. Is water quality in British rivers "better than at any time since the end of the Industrial Revolution"? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:157014. [PMID: 35772542 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We explore the oft-repeated claim that river water quality in Great Britain is "better now than at any time since the Industrial Revolution". We review available data and ancillary evidence for seven different categories of water pollutants: (i) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and ammonia; (ii) heavy metals; (iii) sewage-associated organic pollutants (including hormone-like substances, personal care product and pharmaceutical compounds); (iv) macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus); (v) pesticides; (vi) acid deposition and (vii) other variables, including natural organic matter and pathogenic micro-organisms. With a few exceptions, observed data are scarce before 1970. However, we can speculate about some of the major water quality pressures which have existed before that. Point-source pollutants are likely to have increased with population growth, increased connection rates to sewerage and industrialisation, although the increased provision of wastewater treatment during the 20th century will have mitigated this to some extent. From 1940 to the 1990s, pressures from nutrients and pesticides associated with agricultural intensification have increased in many areas. In parallel, there was an increase in synthetic organic compounds with a "down-the-drain" disposal pathway. The 1990s saw general reductions in mean concentrations of metals, BOD and ammonia (driven by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive), a levelling out of nitrate concentrations (driven by the EU Nitrate Directive), a decrease in phosphate loads from both point-and diffuse-sources and some recovery from catchment acidification. The current picture is mixed: water quality in many rivers downstream of urban centres has improved in sanitary terms but not with respect to emerging contaminants, while river quality in catchments with intensive agriculture is likely to remain worse now than before the 1960s. Water quality is still unacceptably poor in some water bodies. This is often a consequence of multiple stressors which need to be better-identified and prioritised to enable continued recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Whelan
- University of Leicester, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| | - C Linstead
- WWF-UK, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - F Worrall
- University of Durham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - S J Ormerod
- Cardiff University, Water Research Institute, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - I Durance
- Cardiff University, Water Research Institute, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - A C Johnson
- UKCEH, Wallingford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - D Johnson
- The Rivers Trust, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - M Owen
- Angling Trust, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - E Wiik
- Ronin Institute, United States of America
| | - N J K Howden
- University of Bristol, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - T P Burt
- University of Durham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - A Boxall
- University of York, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - C D Brown
- University of York, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - D M Oliver
- University of Stirling, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - D Tickner
- WWF-UK, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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24
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Wang C, Lu Y, Wang C, Xiu C, Cao X, Zhang M, Song S. Distribution and ecological risks of pharmaceuticals and personal care products with different anthropogenic stresses in a coastal watershed of China. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 303:135176. [PMID: 35654238 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The occurrences of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in both freshwater and sea have been widely reported. However, pollution control requires further information on riverine discharges with influence of land-based activities and associated risks to estuarine ecosystems. This study investigated the spatial occurrences and the relationship to sociodemographic parameters of 30 PPCPs in 67 rivers along the Bohai coastal region. The results showed that PPCPs were mainly deposited in aquatic phase, and the partitioning coefficient between water and sediment was highly determined by chemical properties. The levels of 30 PPCPs in rivers ranged from 8.33 to 894.48 ng/L, showing a large variance among regions. Caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, ofloxacin, anhydro-erythromycin, and trimethoprim were found to be the major pollutants. Multivariable analysis method was used to assess the correlation of PPCPs markers to socio-economic parameters. The results indicated that domestic emissions contributed most to the occurrences of PPCPs in the riverine water. Risk assessment result indicated that sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, tetracycline, and carbamazepine ranked top four with the highest risks to the most sensitive aquatic organisms. The results identified caffeine and carbamazepine with high detection frequency and concentration as the priority chemicals, while sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin should also be concerned due to their potential threats in specific rivers. This study provides valuable information for pollution control over PPCPs riverine discharges in estuarine regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-environment of the Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yonglong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Cong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Cuo Xiu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Xianghui Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuai Song
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
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25
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Bouzas‐Monroy A, Wilkinson JL, Melling M, Boxall ABA. Assessment of the Potential Ecotoxicological Effects of Pharmaceuticals in the World's Rivers. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:2008-2020. [PMID: 35730333 PMCID: PMC9544786 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
During their production, use, and disposal, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are released into aquatic systems. Because they are biologically active molecules, APIs have the potential to adversely affect nontarget organisms. We used the results of a global monitoring study of 61 APIs alongside available ecotoxicological and pharmacological data to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of APIs in rivers across the world. Approximately 43.5% (461 sites) of the 1052 sampling locations monitored across 104 countries in a recent global study had concentrations of APIs of concern based on apical, nonapical, and mode of action-related endpoints. Approximately 34.1% of the 137 sampling campaigns had at least one location where concentrations were of ecotoxicological concern. Twenty-three APIs occurred at concentrations exceeding "safe" concentrations, including substances from the antidepressant, antimicrobial, antihistamine, β-blocker, anticonvulsant, antihyperglycemic, antimalarial, antifungal, calcium channel blocker, benzodiazepine, painkiller, progestin, and lifestyle compound classes. At the most polluted sites, effects are predicted on different trophic levels and on different endpoint types. Overall, the results show that API pollution is a global problem that is likely negatively affecting the health of the world's rivers. To meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, work is urgently needed to tackle the problem and bring concentrations down to an acceptable level. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2008-2020. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Molly Melling
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
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26
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Tyszczuk-Rotko K, Kozak J, Czech B. Screen-Printed Voltammetric Sensors-Tools for Environmental Water Monitoring of Painkillers. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:s22072437. [PMID: 35408052 PMCID: PMC9003516 DOI: 10.3390/s22072437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic production and usage of pharmaceuticals, mainly painkillers, indicates the growing problem of environmental contamination. Therefore, the monitoring of pharmaceutical concentrations in environmental samples, mostly aquatic, is necessary. This article focuses on applying screen-printed voltammetric sensors for the voltammetric determination of painkillers residues, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol, and tramadol in environmental water samples. The main advantages of these electrodes are simplicity, reliability, portability, small instrumental setups comprising the three electrodes, and modest cost. Moreover, the electroconductivity, catalytic activity, and surface area can be easily improved by modifying the electrode surface with carbon nanomaterials, polymer films, or electrochemical activation.
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27
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Duarte DJ, Niebaum G, Lämmchen V, van Heijnsbergen E, Oldenkamp R, Hernández‐Leal L, Schmitt H, Ragas AMJ, Klasmeier J. Ecological Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals in the Transboundary Vecht River (Germany and The Netherlands). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:648-662. [PMID: 33818825 PMCID: PMC9290585 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Millions of people rely on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to prevent and cure a wide variety of illnesses in humans and animals, which has led to a steadily increasing consumption of APIs across the globe and concurrent releases of APIs into the environment. In the environment, APIs can have a detrimental impact on wildlife, particularly aquatic wildlife. Therefore, it is essential to assess their potential adverse effects to aquatic ecosystems. The European Water Framework Directive sets out that risk assessment should be performed at the catchment level, crossing borders where needed. The present study defines ecological risk profiles for surface water concentrations of 8 APIs (carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, cyclophosphamide, diclofenac, erythromycin, 17α-ethinylestradiol, metformin, and metoprolol) in the Vecht River, a transboundary river that crosses several German and Dutch regions. Ultimately, 3 main goals were achieved: 1) the geo-referenced estimation of API concentrations in surface water using the geography-referenced regional exposure assessment tool for European rivers; 2) the derivation of new predicted-no-effect concentrations for 7 of the studied APIs, of which 3 were lower than previously derived values; and 3) the creation of detailed spatially explicit ecological risk profiles of APIs under 2 distinct water flow scenarios. Under average flow conditions, carbamazepine, diclofenac, and 17α-ethinylestradiol were systematically estimated to surpass safe ecological concentration thresholds in at least 68% of the catchment's water volume. This increases to 98% under dry summer conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:648-662. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Duarte
- Institute for Water & Wetland Research, Department of Environmental ScienceRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Gunnar Niebaum
- Institute of Environmental Systems ResearchOsnabrück UniversityOsnabrückGermany
| | - Volker Lämmchen
- Institute of Environmental Systems ResearchOsnabrück UniversityOsnabrückGermany
| | - Eri van Heijnsbergen
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water TechnologyLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Rik Oldenkamp
- Department of Global Health, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam UMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lucia Hernández‐Leal
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water TechnologyLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Heike Schmitt
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water TechnologyLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases and ImmunologyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment SciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Ad M. J. Ragas
- Institute for Water & Wetland Research, Department of Environmental ScienceRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of ScienceOpen UniversityHeerlenThe Netherlands
| | - Jörg Klasmeier
- Institute of Environmental Systems ResearchOsnabrück UniversityOsnabrückGermany
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28
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Coors A, Falkenhain AM, Scheurer M, Länge R. Evidence for Specific Receptor-Mediated Toxicity of Pharmaceuticals in Aquatic Organisms Derived from Acute and Chronic Standard Endpoints. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:601-613. [PMID: 33595135 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity of 17 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) was investigated using standardized acute and chronic tests with Daphnia magna and 2 algae species. Chronic toxicity was generally greater for Daphnia than for algae. Compilation of additional data resulted in 100 APIs for which the acute-to-chronic ratio (ACR) was determined for Daphnia. The frequency of high ACRs (~20% with ACRs > 100) indicates that specific receptor-mediated toxicity toward D. magna is rather common among APIs. The 11 APIs with ACRs > 1000 included lipid-modifying agents, immunosuppressants, antibiotics, antineoplastics, antiobesics, antivirals, and antihistamines. There was no consistent association between ACR and chronic toxicity, ionization status, or lipophilicity. High ACRs were not exclusively associated with the presence of orthologs of the pharmacological target in Daphnia. Statins, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and antihistamines are discussed in more detail regarding the link between targets and toxic mode of action. For acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, receptor-mediated toxicity was already apparent after acute exposure, whereas the high ACR and chronic toxicity of some antihistamines probably related to interaction with a secondary rather than the primary pharmacological target. Acute or modeled chronic toxicity estimates have often been used for prioritizing pharmaceuticals. This may be seriously misleading because chronic effects are currently not predictable for APIs with specific receptor-mediated toxicity. However, it is exactly these APIs that are the most relevant in terms of environmental risks. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:601-613. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Coors
- ECT Oekotoxikologie, Flörsheim/Main, Germany
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | | | - Marco Scheurer
- Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches-Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruhe, Germany
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29
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Golbaz S, Yaghmaeian K, Isazadeh S, Zamanzadeh M. Environmental risk assessments of multiclass pharmaceutical active compounds: selection of high priority concern pharmaceuticals using entropy-utility functions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:59745-59770. [PMID: 34146330 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14693-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This research aimed to identify high-risk pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) by analyzing occurrence (O), persistence (P), bioaccumulation (B), and toxicity (T) of 62 drugs which are widely used in Iran. A comprehensive approach was taken in risk assessment of the selected PhACs and in their prioritization using multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) such as utility functions and principal component analysis (PCA). In practice, assigning weight to each criterion (i.e., O, P, B, and T) for risk assessment of PhACs is a challenge. In this research, the impact of giving both equal and unequal weight to each criterion by using a quantitative entropy method was studied. For risk assessment, two exposure approaches (consumption rate and occurrence of PhACs) and three MCDA approaches (PCA and utility functions with and without equal weights for each criterion) were compared. The utility function using equal weights for all O, P, B, and T criteria showed that thioridazine, pimozide, chlorpromazine, sertraline, clomipramine, and aripiprazole were at the highest level of risk, with concern score of 0.75, 0.75, 0.67, 0.58, 0.58, and 0.58, respectively. Unequal weight approach included additional compounds such as fluoxetine, citalopram, and methadone as a priority. All three MCDA approaches showed that sedatives and antidepressants were prevalent PhACs in the risk-based priority lists. However, the exposure-based approaches showed antibiotics and analgesics as the pharmaceutical of the highest priority. Overall, selection of the high priority concern pharmaceuticals depends on the prioritization approach employed. However, the utility function using unequal weights is a more conservative and effective approach for prioritization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Golbaz
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kamyar Yaghmaeian
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Siavash Isazadeh
- Research and Development, American Water Works Co., Delran, NJ, 08075, USA
| | - Mirzaman Zamanzadeh
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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30
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Siciliano A, Guida M, Iesce MR, Libralato G, Temussi F, Galdiero E, Carraturo F, Cermola F, DellaGreca M. Ecotoxicity and photodegradation of Montelukast (a drug to treat asthma) in water. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111680. [PMID: 34256078 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The present work focuses on the ecotoxicological effects of montelukast sodium (MTL) and its photoproducts, obtained under environmentally-like conditions. Despite of the potential presence in surface waters and the common use of MTL as asthma drug, limited data has been published for its photodegradation, while no information is available for its ecotoxicity. Light-induced degradation is an effective way for drugs to degrade in aquatic environments, and MTL is highly photosensitive, even by exposure to sunlight. In this study, solar-simulated irradiation of the drug in water was investigated. The drug was quickly converted into a series of photoproducts that were spectroscopically characterized. The possible photoreaction pathways were proposed. Ecotoxicity tests were performed on parent compound and mixture of photoproducts towards two bioindicators (Raphidocelis subcapitata and Daphnia magna). Results evidenced that effects of MTL on D. magna (EC50 = 16.4 mg/L) were greater than effects on R. subcapitata (EC50 = 195.7 mg/L). Microscopy observations revealed that MTL had mainly accumulated in the gut of daphnia. Toxicity data on photolysed solutions highlighted the presence of residual toxicity in all samples, evidencing that no complete mineralization occurred. Future research should focus on monitoring of MTL concentrations in the environment and study its effects in bioaccumulation tests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Rosaria Iesce
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Temussi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Flavio Cermola
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina DellaGreca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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31
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Li J, Wilkinson JL, Boxall ABA. Use of a large dataset to develop new models for estimating the sorption of active pharmaceutical ingredients in soils and sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 415:125688. [PMID: 34088186 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Information on the sorption of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in soils and sediments is needed for assessing the environmental risks of these substances yet these data are unavailable for many APIs in use. Predictive models for estimating sorption could provide a solution. The performance of existing models is, however, often poor and most models do not account for the effects of soil/sediment properties which are known to significantly affect API sorption. Therefore, here, we use a high-quality dataset on the sorption behavior of 54 APIs in 13 soils and sediments to develop new models for estimating sorption coefficients for APIs in soils and sediments using three machine learning approaches (artificial neural network, random forest and support vector machine) and linear regression. A random forest-based model, with chemical and solid descriptors as the input, was the best performing model. Evaluation of this model using an independent sorption dataset from the literature showed that the model was able to predict sorption coefficients of 90% of the test set to within a factor of 10 of the experimental values. This new model could be invaluable in assessing the sorption behavior of molecules that have yet to be tested and in landscape-level risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - John L Wilkinson
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Alistair B A Boxall
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK.
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32
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Chan SJ, Nutting VI, Natterson TA, Horowitz BN. Impacts of Psychopharmaceuticals on the Neurodevelopment of Aquatic Wildlife: A Call for Increased Knowledge Exchange across Disciplines to Highlight Implications for Human Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105094. [PMID: 34065793 PMCID: PMC8151291 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The global use of psychopharmaceuticals such as antidepressants has been steadily increasing. However, the environmental consequences of increased use are rarely considered by medical professionals. Worldwide monitoring efforts have shown that pharmaceuticals are amongst the multitude of anthropogenic pollutants found in our waterways, where excretion via urine and feces is thought to be the primary mode of pharmaceutical contamination. Despite the lack of clarity surrounding the effects of the unintentional exposure to these chemicals, most notably in babies and in developing fetuses, the US Environmental Protection Agency does not currently regulate any psychopharmaceuticals in drinking water. As the underlying reasons for the increased incidence of mental illness—particularly in young children and adolescents—are poorly understood, the potential effects of unintentional exposure warrant more attention. Thus, although links between environmental contamination and physiological and behavioral changes in wildlife species—most notably in fish—have been used by ecologists and wildlife biologists to drive conservation policy and management practices, we hypothesize that this knowledge may be underutilized by medical professionals. In order to test this hypothesis, we created a hierarchically-organized citation network built around a highly-cited “parent” article to explore connections between aquatic toxicology and medical fields related to neurodevelopment. As suspected, we observed that studies in medical fields such as developmental neuroscience, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry cite very few to no papers in the aquatic sciences. Our results underscore the need for increased transdisciplinary communication and information exchange between the aquatic sciences and medical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J. Chan
- Department of Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | - Veronica I. Nutting
- Department of Computer Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | - Talia A. Natterson
- Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences, 1714 21st Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA;
| | - Barbara N. Horowitz
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-310-413-8131
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33
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Minski VT, Garbinato C, Thiel N, Siebel AM. Erythromycin in the aquatic environment: deleterious effects on the initial development of zebrafish. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2021; 84:56-66. [PMID: 33073732 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2020.1834477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Due to the large volume of erythromycin continuously reaching waterbodies and its high persistence, this antibiotic drug has been detected in the aquatic environment at elevated concentrations. Although the problem of the presence of erythromycin in the environment is evident due to its influence in development of antimicrobial resistance, the toxicological consequences on non-target organisms remain to be determined. There are no apparent data on the impact of environmentally relevant concentrations of erythromycin on developing fish. Data on toxic effects during development are essential for evaluation of environmental risk to organisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to erythromycin on certain parameters including hatchability, survival rate, heart rate, and behavior in developing zebrafish. Zebrafish were exposed to a range of environmentally relevant concentrations of antibiotic (0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 μg/L) and one concentration 10-fold higher (10 μg/L). Exposure to erythromycin at 0.1 μg/L delayed hatching and decreased survival rate. Exposure to all tested concentrations increased heart rate. Further, exposure to erythromycin at 1 or 10 μg/L enhanced swimming activity. Our results indicated that erythromycin present in the aquatic environment might lead to disabling consequences in developing fish organisms and subsequently may result in ecological imbalance in the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeska Toffolo Minski
- Laboratório de Genética e Ecotoxicologia Molecular, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó , Chapecó, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Garbinato
- Laboratório de Genética e Ecotoxicologia Molecular, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó , Chapecó, Brazil
| | - Nathana Thiel
- Laboratório de Genética e Ecotoxicologia Molecular, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó , Chapecó, Brazil
| | - Anna Maria Siebel
- Laboratório de Genética e Ecotoxicologia Molecular, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó , Chapecó, Brazil
- Laboratório de Genética e Ecotoxicologia Molecular, Curso de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó , Chapecó, Brazil
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Guo J, Liu S, Zhou L, Cheng B, Li Q. Prioritizing pharmaceuticals based on environmental risks in the aquatic environment in China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 278:111479. [PMID: 33126192 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In last two decades, the number of detected activated pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the natural environment worldwide has increased due to their widespread use in daily life. However, given the large number of APIs that are currently in use (approximate 850 are on the market in China), it is impractical to investigate the occurrence, ecotoxicological effects, and perform environmental risk assessment for all drugs. Therefore, it is crucial to rank and prioritize APIs in the environment to identify the compounds of high concern. In China, since information on API usage is not available, an attempt was made to use the number of products per API (the number of pharmaceutical commodities that contain a particular API) on the market multiplied by its daily dose (average daily dose of medication for adults used for the primary therapeutic purpose) to replace the usage in the exposure modeling. Coupled with the hazard assessment, including acute and chronic toxicity of aquatic ecological effects and potential effects related to the therapeutic mode of action, risk scores were estimated and used for ranking. Application of the approach was illustrated for 259 APIs with product number no less than 4. A list of 20 APIs was finally identified as a potential priority, including drugs of cardiovascular, nervous system, respiratory system, musculoskeletal system and antibiotics. In the future, this approach could be applied to prioritize APIs in other countries/regions where information on API usage are limited or non-existent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahua Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Shan Liu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Bo Cheng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Qi Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China.
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Utami RR, Geerling GW, Salami IRS, Notodarmojo S, Ragas AMJ. Environmental prioritization of pesticide in the Upper Citarum River Basin, Indonesia, using predicted and measured concentrations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:140130. [PMID: 32806383 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A novel screening method was developed to prioritize aquatic and human health risks of pesticides based on usage data, runoff modelling and effect prediction. An important asset of this new method is that it does not require measured concentration data, which are often unavailable or difficult to obtain in low- and middle-income countries like Indonesia. The method was applied to prioritize 31 agricultural pesticides used in the Upper Citarum River Basin in West Java, Indonesia. Ranking of pesticides based on predicted concentrations generally showed good agreement with ranking based on concentrations measured by passive sampling. The individual pesticide intake through the consumption of river water was predicted to cause negligible human health risks, but substantial aquatic risks (i.e. PEC/PNEC >1) were predicted for profenofos (5.2.E+01), propineb (3.6.E+01), chlorpyrifos (2.6.E+01), carbofuran (1.7.E+01), imidacloprid (9.4.E+00), methomyl (7.6.E+00) and chlorantraniliprole (3.6.E+00). In order to protect the aquatic environment, water managers are advised to take measures to reduce the use and runoff of these pesticides in the UCRB. The screening assessment can be further refined by performing additional effect studies for some pesticides, pesticide mixtures and validation of the predicted water concentrations by targeted measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosetyati R Utami
- Institute for Science in Society, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha no. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia.
| | - Gertjan W Geerling
- Institute for Science in Society, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Deltares, P.O. Box 177, 2600 MH Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Indah R S Salami
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha no. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
| | - Suprihanto Notodarmojo
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha no. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
| | - Ad M J Ragas
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Science, Faculty of Management, Science & Technology, Open University, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands
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Li J, Carter LJ, Boxall ABA. Evaluation and development of models for estimating the sorption behaviour of pharmaceuticals in soils. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 392:122469. [PMID: 32193115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sorption is one of the key process that affects the fate and mobility of pharmaceuticals in the soil environment. Several models have been developed for estimating the sorption of organic chemicals, including ionisable compounds, in soil. However, the applicability of these models to pharmaceuticals has not been extensively tested. In this study, we generated a high-quality dataset on the sorption of twenty-one pharmaceuticals in different soil types and used these data to evaluate existing models and to develop new improved models. Sorption coefficients (Kd) of the pharmaceuticals ranged from 0.2 to 1249.2 L/kg. Existing models were unable to adequately estimate the measured sorption data. Using the data, new models were developed, incorporating molecular and soil descriptors, that outperformed the published models when evaluated against external data sets. While there is a need for further evaluation of these new models against broader sorption datasets obtained at environmentally relevant concentrations, in the future they could be highly useful in supporting environmental risk assessment and prioritization efforts for pharmaceutical ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Laura J Carter
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Alistair B A Boxall
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK.
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Grabicová K, Grabic R, Fedorova G, Kolářová J, Turek J, Brooks BW, Randák T. Psychoactive pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems: A comparative assessment of environmental monitoring approaches for water and fish. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 261:114150. [PMID: 32062094 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental monitoring and surveillance studies of pharmaceuticals routinely examine occurrence of substances without current information on human consumption patterns. We selected 10 streams with diverse annual flows and differentially influenced by population densities to examine surface water occurrence and fish accumulation of select psychoactive medicines, for which consumption is increasing in the Czech Republic. We then tested whether passive sampling can provide a useful surrogate for exposure to these substances through grab sampling, body burdens of young of year fish, and tissue specific accumulation of these psychoactive contaminants. We identified a statistically significant (p < 0.05) relationship between ambient grab samples and passive samplers in these streams when psychoactive contaminants were commonly quantitated by targeted liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, though we did not observe relationships between passive samplers and tissue specific pharmaceutical accumulation. We further observed smaller lotic systems with elevated contamination when municipal effluent discharges from more highly populated cities contributed a greater extent of instream flows. These findings identify the importance of understanding age and species specific differences in fish uptake, internal disposition, metabolism and elimination of psychoactive drugs across surface water quality gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Grabicová
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic.
| | - Roman Grabic
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Ganna Fedorova
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Kolářová
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Turek
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Bryan W Brooks
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic; Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Biomedical Studies, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Tomáš Randák
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
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Pharmaceuticals and Environment: a web-based decision support for considering environmental aspects of medicines in use. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2020; 76:1151-1160. [PMID: 32388641 PMCID: PMC7351842 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-020-02885-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The database Pharmaceuticals and Environment is a non-commercial, freely available web-based decision support presenting compiled environmental information for pharmaceutical substances. It was developed by Region Stockholm and launched in 2016 at janusinfo.se. The purpose of this paper is to present the database, report on its current use, and reflect on lessons learned from developing and managing the database. Methods A standard operating procedure describes the work and content of the database, e.g., how information is retrieved, processed, and presented. Google Analytics was used for metrics. Issues related to the database have been discussed and handled by a reference group. The experiences from this work are presented. Results The database contains environmental hazard and risk information, primarily gathered from regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical companies. There are also assessments comparing substances within some groups of pharmaceuticals. The database is used by the Swedish Drug and Therapeutics Committees to include environmental aspects when recommending pharmaceuticals for health care providers. Page views show that users primarily look for information on commonly used substances, e.g., diclofenac and paracetamol/acetaminophen. Major problems for the development of the database are lack of data, lack of transparency, and discrepancies in the available environmental information. Conclusion In the absence of an adequate decision support produced by the regulatory authorities, we find the database Pharmaceuticals and Environment to be useful for Swedish Drug and Therapeutics Committees and health care providers, and it is our belief that the information can be valuable also in other settings.
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Fenner K, Screpanti C, Renold P, Rouchdi M, Vogler B, Rich S. Comparison of Small Molecule Biotransformation Half-Lives between Activated Sludge and Soil: Opportunities for Read-Across? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:3148-3158. [PMID: 32062976 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Compartment-specific degradation half-lives are essential pieces of information in the regulatory risk assessment of synthetic chemicals. However, their measurement according to regulatory testing guidelines is laborious and costly. Despite the obvious ecological and economic benefits of knowing environmental degradability as early as possible, its consideration in the early phases of rational chemical design is therefore challenging. Here, we explore the possibility to use half-lives determined in highly time- and work-efficient biotransformation experiments with activated sludge and mixtures of chemicals to predict soil half-lives from regulatory simulation studies. We experimentally determined half-lives for 52 structurally diverse agrochemical active ingredients in batch reactors with three concentrations of the same activated sludge. We then developed bi- and multivariate models for predicting half-lives in soil by regressing the experimentally determined half-lives in activated sludge against average soil half-lives of the same chemicals extracted from regulatory data. The models differed in how we accounted for sorption-related bioavailability differences in soil and activated sludge. The best-performing models exhibited good coefficients of determination (R2 of around 0.8) and low average errors (<factor of 3 in half-life predictions) and were robust in cross-validation. From a practical perspective, these results suggest that it may indeed be possible to read across from half-lives determined in highly efficient biotransformation experiments in activated sludge to soil half-lives, which are obtained from much more work- and resource-intense regulatory studies, and that these predictions are clearly superior to predictions based on the output of BIOWIN, a publicly available quantitative structure-biodegradation relationship (QSBR) model. From a theoretical perspective, these results suggest that soil and activated sludge microbial communities, although certainly different in terms of taxonomic composition, may be functionally similar with respect to the enzymatic transformation of environmentally relevant concentrations of a diverse range of chemical compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Fenner
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Screpanti
- Chemical Research, Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Schaffhauserstrasse 101, CH-4332 Stein, Switzerland
| | - Peter Renold
- Chemical Research, Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Schaffhauserstrasse 101, CH-4332 Stein, Switzerland
| | - Marwa Rouchdi
- Chemical Research, Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Schaffhauserstrasse 101, CH-4332 Stein, Switzerland
| | - Bernadette Vogler
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Rich
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Liu N, Jin X, Feng C, Wang Z, Wu F, Johnson AC, Xiao H, Hollert H, Giesy JP. Ecological risk assessment of fifty pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in Chinese surface waters: A proposed multiple-level system. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 136:105454. [PMID: 32032889 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Interest in the risks posed by trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface waters is increasing, particularly with regard to potential effects of long-term, low-dose exposures of aquatic organisms. In most cases, the actual studies on PPCPs were risk assessments at screening-level, and accurate estimates were scarce. In this study, exposure and ecotoxicity data of 50 PPCPs were collected based on our previous studies, and a multiple-level environmental risk assessment was performed. The 50 selected PPCPs are likely to be frequently detected in surface waters of China, with concentrations ranging from the ng L-1 to the low-g L-1, and the risk quotients based on median concentrations ranged from 2046 for nonylphenol to 0 for phantolide. A semi-probabilistic approach screened 33 PPCPs that posed potential risks to aquatic organisms, among which 15 chemicals (nonylphenol, sulfamethoxazole, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 17β-ethynyl estradiol, caffeine, tetracycline, 17β-estradiol, estrone, dibutyl phthalate, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, tonalide, galaxolide, triclosan, and bisphenol A) were categorized as priority compounds according to an optimized risk assessment, and then the refined probabilistic risk assessment indicated 12 of them posed low to high risk to aquatic ecosystem, with the maximum risk products ranged from 1.54% to 17.38%. Based on these results, we propose that the optimized risk assessment was appropriate for screening priority contaminants at national scale, and when a more accurate estimation is required, the refined probability risk assessment is useful. The methodology and process might provide reference for other research of chemical evaluation and management for rivers, lakes, and sea waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Chenglian Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Zijian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco- Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Andrew C Johnson
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Hongxia Xiao
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Capela R, Garric J, Castro LFC, Santos MM. Embryo bioassays with aquatic animals for toxicity testing and hazard assessment of emerging pollutants: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135740. [PMID: 31838430 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This review article gathers the available information on the use of embryo-tests as high-throughput tools for toxicity screening, hazard assessment and prioritization of new and existing chemical compounds. The approach is contextualized considering the new legal trends for animal experimentation, fostering the 3R policy, with reduction of experimental animals, addressing the potential of embryo-tests as high-throughput toxicity screening and prioritizing tools. Further, the current test guidelines, such as the ones provided by OECD and EPA, focus mainly in a limited number of animal lineages, particularly vertebrates and arthropods. To extrapolate hazard assessment to the ecosystem scale, a larger diversity of taxa should be tested. The use of new experimental animal models in toxicity testing, from a representative set of taxa, was thoroughly revised and discussed in this review. Here, we critically review current tools and the main advantages and drawbacks of different animal models and set researcher priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Capela
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; IRSTEA - National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture - Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua, CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne Cedex, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jeanne Garric
- IRSTEA - National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture - Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua, CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne Cedex, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Luís Filipe Costa Castro
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Miguel Machado Santos
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Uptake and Effects of Pharmaceuticals in the Soil-Plant-Earthworm System. THE HANDBOOK OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/698_2020_617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Weil M, Falkenhain AM, Scheurer M, Ryan JJ, Coors A. Uptake and Effects of the Beta-Adrenergic Agonist Salbutamol in Fish: Supporting Evidence for the Fish Plasma Model. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:2509-2519. [PMID: 31343770 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The fish plasma model (FPM) predicts the fish blood plasma concentration of a pharmaceutical from the water concentration to which the fish is exposed and compares it with the human therapeutic plasma concentration (Hther PC) with the postulate that no adverse toxic effects occur below the Hther PC. The present study provides several lines of evidence supporting the FPM for the beta-adrenergic agonist salbutamol, a small cationic molecule at ambient pH. Salbutamol exhibited very low acute toxicity to early and adult life stages of fish. Biomass reduction in fish early life stages was the most sensitive apical endpoint, with no-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs) in the low mg/L range after continuous exposure for up to 120 d. Given that predicted and measured environmental concentrations are at least 1000-fold lower, the risk of salbutamol in freshwater is deemed very low. Increase in heart beat rate and decrease in total triglyceride content in fish also occurred at the low mg/L range and resembled effects known from humans. This finding supports the FPM assumption of conserved targets in fish with similar functionality. Plasma concentrations measured in adult and juvenile fish exposed to water concentrations at approximately the NOECs exceeded Hther PC and even approached plasma concentrations toxic to humans. This result confirms for salbutamol the FPM hypothesis that no adverse (i.e., population-relevant) toxic effects occur in fish below the Hther PC. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2509-2519. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Weil
- ECT Oekotoxikologie, Flörsheim/Main, Germany
| | | | | | - Jim J Ryan
- Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, GlaxoSmithKline, Ware, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Anja Coors
- ECT Oekotoxikologie, Flörsheim/Main, Germany
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
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Mole RA, Brooks BW. Global scanning of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: occurrence, wastewater treatment and hazards in aquatic systems. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 250:1019-1031. [PMID: 31085468 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
As the global population becomes more concentrated in urban areas, resource consumption, including access to pharmaceuticals, is increasing and chemical use is also increasingly concentrated. Unfortunately, implementation of waste management systems and wastewater treatment infrastructure is not yet meeting these global megatrends. Herein, pharmaceuticals are indicators of an urbanizing water cycle; antidepressants are among the most commonly studied classes of these contaminants of emerging concern. In the present study, we performed a unique global hazard assessment of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in water matrices across geographic regions and for common wastewater treatment technologies. SSRIs in the environment have primarily been reported from Europe (50%) followed by North America (38%) and Asia-Pacific (10%). Minimal to no monitoring data exists for many developing regions of the world, including Africa and South America. From probabilistic environmental exposure distributions, 5th and 95th percentiles for all SSRIs across all geographic regions were 2.31 and 3022.1 ng/L for influent, 5.3 and 841.6 ng/L for effluent, 0.8 and 127.7 ng/L for freshwater, and 0.5 and 22.3 ng/L for coastal and marine systems, respectively. To estimate the potential hazards of SSRIs in the aquatic environment, percent exceedances of therapeutic hazard values of specific SSRIs, without recommended safety factors, were identified within and among geographic regions. For influent sewage and wastewater effluents, sertraline exceedances were observed 49% and 29% of the time, respectively, demonstrating the need to better understand emerging water quality hazards of SSRIs in urban freshwater and coastal ecosystems. This unique global review and analysis identified regions where more monitoring is necessary, and compounds requiring toxicological attention, particularly with increasing aquatic reports of behavioral perturbations elicited by SSRIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Mole
- Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Bryan W Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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Letsinger S, Kay P. Comparison of Prioritisation Schemes for Human Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:3479-3491. [PMID: 30515684 PMCID: PMC6513794 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3834-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Only a small proportion of pharmaceuticals available for commercial use have been monitored in the aquatic environment, and even less is known about the effects on organisms. With thousands of pharmaceuticals in use, it is not feasible to monitor or assess the effects of all of these compounds. Prioritisation schemes allow the ranking of pharmaceuticals based on their potential as environmental contaminants, allowing resources to be appropriately used on those which are most likely to enter the environment and cause greatest harm. Many different types of prioritisation schemes exist in the literature and those utilising predicted environmental concentrations (PECs), the fish plasma model (FPM), critical environmental concentrations (CECs) and acute ecotoxicological data were assessed in the current study using the 50 most prescribed drugs in the UK. PECs were found to be overestimates of mean measured environmental concentrations but mainly underestimations of maximum concentrations. Acute ecological data identified different compounds of concern to the other effects assessments although the FPM and CECs methods were more conservative. These schemes highlighted antidepressants, lipid regulators, antibiotics, antihypertensive compounds and ibuprofen as priority compounds for further study and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Letsinger
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Paul Kay
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
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Van den Brink PJ, Boxall AB, Maltby L, Brooks BW, Rudd MA, Backhaus T, Spurgeon D, Verougstraete V, Ajao C, Ankley GT, Apitz SE, Arnold K, Brodin T, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Chapman J, Corrales J, Coutellec MA, Fernandes TF, Fick J, Ford AT, Papiol GG, Groh KJ, Hutchinson TH, Kruger H, Kukkonen JV, Loutseti S, Marshall S, Muir D, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Paul KB, Rico A, Rodea-Palomares I, Römbke J, Rydberg T, Segner H, Smit M, van Gestel CA, Vighi M, Werner I, Zimmer EI, van Wensem J. Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2018; 37:2281-2295. [PMID: 30027629 PMCID: PMC6214210 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have been established to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals will require a healthy and productive environment. An understanding of the impacts of chemicals which can negatively impact environmental health is therefore essential to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, current research on and regulation of chemicals in the environment tend to take a simplistic view and do not account for the complexity of the real world, which inhibits the way we manage chemicals. There is therefore an urgent need for a step change in the way we study and communicate the impacts and control of chemicals in the natural environment. To do this requires the major research questions to be identified so that resources are focused on questions that really matter. We present the findings of a horizon-scanning exercise to identify research priorities of the European environmental science community around chemicals in the environment. Using the key questions approach, we identified 22 questions of priority. These questions covered overarching questions about which chemicals we should be most concerned about and where, impacts of global megatrends, protection goals, and sustainability of chemicals; the development and parameterization of assessment and management frameworks; and mechanisms to maximize the impact of the research. The research questions identified provide a first-step in the path forward for the research, regulatory, and business communities to better assess and manage chemicals in the natural environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2281-2295. © 2018 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental Research (Alterra), P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alistair B.A. Boxall
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK
- Corresponding author:
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Bryan W. Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | | | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22 B, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Spurgeon
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | | | - Charmaine Ajao
- European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Annankatu 18, 00120 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gerald T. Ankley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, 6201 Congdon Blvd, Duluth, MN, 55804, USA
| | - Sabine E. Apitz
- SEA Environmental Decisions, Ltd., 1 South Cottages, The Ford; Little Hadham, Hertfordshire SG11 2AT, UK
| | - Kathryn Arnold
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- Freshwater Ecology and Management (FEM) Research Group, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de l’Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Aquatic Ecology Group, BETA Tecnio Centre, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, Vic, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jennifer Chapman
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Jone Corrales
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | | | - Teresa F. Fernandes
- Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Jerker Fick
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alex T. Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, England, PO4 9LY, UK
| | - Gemma Giménez Papiol
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ksenia J. Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Thomas H. Hutchinson
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Hank Kruger
- Wildlife International Ltd., Easton, Maryland, USA
| | - Jussi V.K. Kukkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Stefania Loutseti
- DuPont De Nemours, Agriculture & Nutrition Crop Protection, Hellas S.A. Halandri Ydras 2& Kifisias Avenue 280r. 15232 Athens, Greece
| | - Stuart Marshall
- Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, MK441LQ, UK. (Retired)
| | - Derek Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1 Canada
| | - Manuel E. Ortiz-Santaliestra
- Spanish Institute of Game and Wildlife Resources (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM. Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Kai B. Paul
- Blue Frog Scientific Limited, Quantum House, 91 George St., EH2 3ES, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ismael Rodea-Palomares
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jörg Römbke
- ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Böttgerstrasse 2-14, D-65439 Flörsheim, Germany
| | - Tomas Rydberg
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, PO Box 5302, 40014 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Helmut Segner
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mathijs Smit
- Shell Global Solutions, Carel van Bylandtlaan 30, 2596 HR The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marco Vighi
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Inge Werner
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Joke van Wensem
- Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, P.O. Box 20901, 2500 EX The Hague, The Netherlands
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