Spatial variations and ecological risks assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in typical lakes of Wuhan, China

Abstract

Lakes are terminal sink of PPCPs, since PPCPs were transported to aquatic system from wastewater treatment plant effluent. Meanwhile, the ecological risks caused by PPCPs to the lakes have aroused wide concern. This study investigated the presence and distribution of PPCPs in 19 typical lakes in Wuhan city; the short term and long-term ecological risk were assessed. The concentration of ten typical PPCPs and the correlation between PPCPs and water quality parameters were analyzed. Ten PPCPs were widely detected, showing that these PPCPs were abundant in the research region. The total PPCPs concentrations varied from 0.44 to 2.1 * 102 ng/L in water sample and ≤ 5.3 ng/g in sediments. According to the results, two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen) were predominated compared to other PPCPs tested in the lakes of Wuhan city. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a substantial positive correlation (p < 0.01) between NH4+-N and ibuprofen concentration, indicating that ibuprofen could be produced from the same sources of NH4+-N. Some PPCPs has shown positive correlation (p < 0.01) with suspended particles in concentrations. A negative correlation in water-sediment distribution for PPCPs was also observed. The potential ecological risks of PPCPs to the lakes were further evaluated. Results implied that ofloxacin posed the highest potential short-term risk of all the ten PPCPs. Sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole and roxithromycin posed a potential long-term risk in Niushan lake. This study investigated PPCPs distribution on a large spatial scale in Wuhan lakes in the post-epidemic era and revealed the importance of ofloxacin control in Wuhan. The findings of this work suggests that the long-term management for lake ecosystems is crucial.