Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in wastewaters and reclaimed water from catalan main river basins
Aquatic pollution from pharmaceuticals is a growing environmental concern globally, particularly in Catalonia's primary water bodies, the Llobregat and Besòs rivers. This study investigates pharmaceutical residues in reclaimed water effluents from the Llobregat River and a wastewater treatment...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Ramon Llull (URL) |
| Repositorio: | DAU Arxiu Digital de la Universitat Ramon Llull |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dau.url.edu:20.500.14342/6016 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/6016 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175020 |
| Access Level: | acceso embargado |
| Palabra clave: | Pharmaceutical residues Reclaimed water WWTP LC-MS/MS Risk assessment D. magna Indústria farmacèutica--Residus Aigua--Reutilització Avaluació del risc Medi ambient--Avaluació del risc 502 615 |
| Sumario: | Aquatic pollution from pharmaceuticals is a growing environmental concern globally, particularly in Catalonia's primary water bodies, the Llobregat and Besòs rivers. This study investigates pharmaceutical residues in reclaimed water effluents from the Llobregat River and a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the Besòs River, critical contributors to the region's water resources. Employing LC-MS/MS, 85 pharmaceutical residues were monitored, revealing elevated concentrations of tramadol, losartan, and gemfibrozil, commonly prescribed drugs in Catalonia. Surprisingly, downstream concentrations exceeded upstream levels significantly, indicating the adverse impact of reclaimed water on water quality. Furthermore, evaluation of WWTP efficiency displayed varying removal rates, from 10 % to 99.8 %, highlighting treatment inadequacies for certain compounds. Predictive environmental concentrations (PECs) aligned closely with measured values, affirming the utility of predictive models in early-stage research. Risk assessment via the risk quotient (RQ) method identified atorvastatin and chlorpromazine as surpassing toxicity thresholds. This study underscores the urgent need to address pharmaceutical contamination in urban rivers and reclaimed waters in Catalonia. By highlighting treatment inefficacies and potential ecological risks, it contributes to the development of sustainable water management strategies and environmental conservation efforts in the region. Efforts should focus on continuously monitoring specific compounds, evaluating their individual toxicity, and implementing appropriate remediation techniques in WWTPs to safeguard water quality and aquatic ecosystems. |
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