Occurrence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in surface waters of Central Italy by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are considered to be the cure-all of any pain: from headache and cold symptoms to toothaches and even labour pain. Their wide use in human medicine has been favoured by the possibility to purchase them without medical prescription, their low cost and by the absence of opioid-like side effects. At the same time, their administration to domestic and food-producing animals has become a common practice to improve their well-being. Therefore, human and veterinary applications are the main sources of NSAIDs in the environment and the major pathways are excretion and discharge through sewage treatment plants. Although their environmental occurrence is well-known, there is a lack of data regarding their levels in surface waters of Central Italy. In this study, a monitoring campaign was arranged in some of the most important rivers and lakes of Central Italy, characterised by a different anthropic impact, in spring–summer and autumn–winter 2012. A broad range of NSAIDs for human and animal use was analysed through a reliable analytical method based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, appropriately developed and validated. Results have shown the constant presence of all drugs commonly used in human medicine with a composition that mirrored the incidence of seasonal diseases quite well. A veterinary drug (flunixin) was found in Bracciano Lake (Rome district), an important tourist attraction surrounded by farmlands. Salicylic acid is a phytohormone and this explains its presence in all the analyzed samples. All the results collected during the extensive survey have proved that Central Italy is aligned with the rest of Europe since its natural waters have shown low levels of contamination (ng L−1) but with a chronic input.