Presence of Some Commonly used Pharmaceutical Residues in Seawater and Net Plankton: a Case Study of Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago

Abstract

The occurrence of eleven pharmaceutical compounds in the surface seawater and plankton samples from Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, were investigated. The target compounds included diclofenac, fenoprofen, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, carbamazepine, clofibric acid, gemfibrozil, estrone, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethynylestradiol, which are among the most widely used pharmaceuticals in the world. The water samples were extracted by liquid-liquid extractions, which were followed by solid-phase extractions (SPE). Ultrasonic extractions were used for the plankton samples, and a clean-up process was then carried out using the SPE method. The quantifications of the pharmaceutical compounds were obtained by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC–DAD). The highest concentrations (2.17 µg L-1) that were measured in seawater were for gemfibrozil. 17α-ethynylestradiol and fenoprofen were the most abundant pharmaceuticals that were detected in the seawater samples. All of the studied compounds were detected in the plankton samples. The concentrations of ibuprofen (4543 ng g-1), 17β-estradiol (3338 ng g-1), 17α-ethynylestradiol (3262 ng g-1), and gemfibrozil (6940 ng g-1) were high in the plankton samples. Pharmaceutical compounds have been identified in the Arctic region due to the inadequate or incomplete wastewater treatment facilities in this region, which exhibit reduced biodegradation levels at low temperatures and prolonged half-life for the compounds in the receiving environments at low temperatures.