Occurrence and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and pesticides in typical surface watersheds, China

Abstract

To evaluate the occurrence and ecological risk of organic contaminants in aquatic environment in China, a method for simultaneously detecting 130 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 35 pesticides has been established using solid phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-MS/MS) method. In the present survey, a total of 122 target compounds (103 PPCPs and 19 pesticides) were detected in seven major watersheds in China, with average concentrations ranged from 0.02 ng/L (sulfamerazine) to 332.75 ng/L (bisphenol A), revealing that PPCPs and pesticides were widely distributed in surface water of China. Antibiotics and organophosphorus were the most ubiquitously PPCPs and pesticides, respectively; quinolones were the predominant antibiotics, most of which were detected in more than 96% sampling sites, with average concentrations ranged from 2.14 to 309.67 ng/L; six pesticides including isoprocarb, fenobucarb, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, acetochlor and bentazone were detected in more than 80% sampling sites, with average concentrations ranged from 5.62 to 225.93 ng/L; more than half of the non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals were hormones; and diethyltoluamide (DEET) was predominant personal care products; The risk assessment showed that each watershed was at potential medium ecological risk based on their mean concentration (RQTotal > 1), and pesticides were the main compounds arising risks.