Widespread, routine occurrence of pharmaceuticals in sewage effluent, combined sewer overflows and receiving waters

Paul Kay,Stephen R Hughes,James R Ault,Alison E Ashcroft,Lee E Brown

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.087

Paul Kay, Stephen R Hughes + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.087

Copy DOI

Abstract

Research addressing the occurrence, fate and effects of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, primarily due to the development of improved chemical analysis methods. Significant research gaps still remain, however, including a lack of longer term, repeated monitoring of rivers, determination of temporal and spatial changes in pharmaceutical concentrations, and inputs from sources other than wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), such as combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In addressing these gaps it was found that the five pharmaceuticals studied were routinely (51–94% of the time) present in effluents and receiving waters at concentrations ranging from single ng to μg L−1. Mean concentrations were in the tens to hundreds ng L−1 range and CSOs appear to be a significant source of pharmaceuticals to water courses in addition to WWTPs. Receiving water concentrations varied throughout the day although there were no pronounced peaks at particular times. Similarly, concentrations varied throughout the year although no consistent patterns were observed. No dissipation of the study compounds was found over a 5 km length of river despite no other known inputs to the river. In conclusion, pharmaceuticals are routinely present in semi-rural and urban rivers and require management alongside more traditional pollutants.

Highlights

An increasing global population is placing great strain on over 65% of the Earth's rivers with chemical pollution one of the main causes of degradation and biodiversity loss in aquatic ecosystems (Vorosmarty et al, 2010)
Only 14 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) samples were collected, all five pharmaceutical compounds were present and detection frequencies and concentrations were in the same range as for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent and receiving waters (Table 4)
The current study found that the five pharmaceuticals monitored are ubiquitous in rivers throughout urban and even semi-rural rivers

Summary

Introduction

An increasing global population is placing great strain on over 65% of the Earth's rivers with chemical pollution one of the main causes of degradation and biodiversity loss in aquatic ecosystems (Vorosmarty et al, 2010). The likelihood of human health impacts due to pharmaceuticals in the environment is low their presence in continually discharged effluent is a major ecological concern due to the potential for effects on aquatic organisms at trace concentrations (Daughton, 2001; Cleuvers, 2003, 2004; Fent et al, 2006; Caliman and Gavrilescu, 2009; Kümmerer, 2009; Santos et al, 2010). Research into pharmaceutical pollution is expanding largely due to increased concern over potential adverse effects and advancements in the analytical techniques necessary to detect such compounds at trace concentrations (Daughton, 2001; Williams, 2005). Where studies are present they often rely on non-repeated sampling and have typically provided very few details on the adopted sampling regime, making it difficult to draw conclusions about the reliability or representativeness of the data presented (Hughes et al, 2013)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion