Abstract
The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water is a growing concern in China. In this study, we determined the concentration and distribution of 59 selected pharmaceuticals in raw, finished, and tap water samples from 79 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in 15 cities, encompassing seven large river basins in China, using solid-phase extraction pretreatment and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Forty-seven pharmaceuticals were detected in raw water samples, with detection rates of 1.27-96.20% and average concentrations of 0.09-128.87 ng/L. Forty-three pharmaceuticals were detected in finished water samples, with detection rates of 1.27-96.20% and average concentrations of 0.07-59.17 ng/L. Forty-two pharmaceuticals were detected in tap water samples, with detection rates of 1.27-94.94% and average concentrations of 0.07-58.43 ng/L. Purification methods implemented by DWTPs are capable of removing some pharmaceuticals from water treatment systems; however, low concentrations of pharmaceuticals were detected in drinking water, raising concerns about the possible human health implications of long-term exposure to low-dose pharmaceuticals. The detection and quantification of pharmaceuticals in municipal water samples presented in this study represent the most extensive analysis of commonly used pharmaceuticals and personal care products located in Chinese river basins.
Highlights
In recent years, concerns regarding the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water in China have escalated
59 pharmaceuticals were selected as the target analytes in our analysis, including six penicillins, four cephalosporins, five macrolides, 15 sulfonamides, 10 fluoroquinolones, two other antibiotics, and 17 other pharmaceuticals In addition, we aimed to determine the concentration and distribution of the 59 select pharmaceuticals in raw water, finished water, and tap water originating from 10 different river basins of China
A total of 47 of the 59 compounds were identified in raw water samples, with detection rates ranging from 1.27 to 96.20%, and the average concentrations ranged from 0.09 ng/L to 128.87 ng/L
Summary
Concerns regarding the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water in China have escalated. More than 3,000 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), including antibiotics, analgesics, antipyretics, nervous system drugs, and mental disorder drugs, have been used throughout the world for the medical treatment of both humans and animals (Liu & Wong ). The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in surface and groundwater has been well documented in the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, Spain
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