Ecotoxicological Analysis of Emerging Contaminants from Wastewater Discharges in the Coastal Zone of Cihuatlán (Jalisco, Mexico)

Miguel Ángel Arguello-Pérez,Adrián Tintos-Gómez,Adrián Tintos-Gómez,Francisco De Asís Silva-Bátiz,Eduardo Ramírez-Ayala,Enrique Godínez-Domínguez,Jorge Alberto Mendoza-Pérez

doi:10.3390/w11071386

Miguel Ángel Arguello-Pérez, Adrián Tintos-Gómez + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071386

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Journal: Water	Publication Date: Jul 5, 2019
Citations: 33	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Guadalajara, University of Colima

Abstract

This research provides a baseline tool to detect, predict and scientifically evaluate the toxic environmental impact generated by chemical substances that are categorized as emerging contaminants (ECs) with endocrine disruptive action. The present study was carried out in five effluents of wastewater produced by urban and rural settlements of the coastal zone of Cihuatlan, Jalisco. Five compounds, considered ECs and that act as endocrine disruptors, were analyzed: Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ketorolac, Pentachlorophenol (PCP), and Estradiol. The toxicity level (TEQ) of the ECs is estimated by a Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis, evaluating their concentration and assessing the risk involved in the incorporation of each one into the environment. The presence of the ECs was confirmed in all the studied sites. It was attested that the concentrations of pollutants Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ketorolac, and Pentachlorophenol were within the toxic range, whereas the compound Estradiol was found in concentrations that represent a high toxicity in the same effluents. This research recognizes that the analysis of the physicochemical properties of substances allows for predicting whether a contaminant is likely to act and persist in the environment and, in turn, bioaccumulate in organisms.

Highlights

The high levels of industrialization and urbanization along river basins have become a significant threat to coastal and estuarine ecosystems
The aim of this research is to contribute to the state of knowledge in the international scientific literature regarding environmental quality indicators, by generating an environmental toxicity index through an ecotoxicological analysis that evaluates the presence of emerging contaminants in wastewater effluents, their influence on the medium, and the effects on indicator organisms, in addition to the potential risks posed by the presence of these pollutants in the environment, in order to generate tools to introduce corrective measures that can contribute to the protection of water sources and the regulation of pollution in coastal zones by new generation compounds
According to the performed ecotoxicological analyses, it can be concluded that the discharge of wastewater produced in the coastal zone of Cihuatlán, Jal. contain emerging contaminants in concentrations within the range of toxic

Summary

Introduction

The high levels of industrialization and urbanization along river basins have become a significant threat to coastal and estuarine ecosystems. These anthropogenic activities have resulted in increasing pollution load in various environmental compartments within the coastal ecosystem [1]. Emerging organic pollutants, have been detected in coastal zones at trace concentrations, which are still harmful enough concentrations to compromise the ecosystems [2]. It has been established that emerging contaminants (ECs) are probably the pollutants that cause the greatest concern, since their consumption is estimated in tons per year, and many of the most commonly used ones are employed in similar quantities to that of pesticides [3].

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