The Photodegradation of Ibuprofen and Dissolved Organic Matter in Lake Superior and St. Louis River Water

Abstract

Ibuprofen can enter bodies of water via waste water treatment. The question was what effect does photodegradation have on ibuprofen and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Lake Superior (oligiotrophic) and St. Louis (tannic stained) River water? Ibuprofen concentrations of 15,000, 30,000, and 60,000 μg/L were made from lake, river, and distilled water, as well as additional distilled concentrations of 7,500 and 120,000 μg/L. Half of the eighty-four trial cups were placed in an ultraviolet light cabinet and half of the set were placed in a dark cabinet for three days. After the exposure period, a UV-Vis was performed to measure change in molar mass and the summed absorbance of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). It appears that ibuprofen decreases in molar mass after exposure to light in distilled and lake water with 15,000 μg/L of ibuprofen. Surprisingly, the molar mass of DOM in river water increases after UV exposure. Possibly, this occurred because the river water has such a high molar mass of DOM and was not filtered. Microbial biomass could also have contributed to this increase. Ibuprofen entering bodies of water via the waste water treatment system appears to be affected by UV light exposure, but in different ways.