Environmental exposure of pharmaceuticals and musk fragrances in the Somes River before and after upgrading the municipal wastewater treatment plant Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

Background, aim, and scope Pharmaceutically active substances are a class of emerging contaminants, which has led to increasing concern about potential environmental risks. After excretion, substantial amounts of unchanged pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are discharged into domestic wastewaters. The absence of data on the environmental exposure in Eastern Europe is significant, since use patterns and volumes differ from country to country. In Romania, the majority of wastewater, from highly populated cities and industrial complex zones, is still discharged into surface waters without proper treatment or after inefficient treatment. In respect to this, it is important to determine the environmental occurrence and behavior of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewaters and surface waters. The objective of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of selected PPCPs during the transport in the Somes River by mass flow analysis before and after upgrading a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Cluj-Napoca, which serves 350,000 inhabitants and is the largest plant discharging into the Somes River. The concentrations of PPCPs at Cluj-Napoca can be correlated with the high population and a high number of hospitals located in the catchment area leading to higher mass flows. The results of this study are expected to provide information, with respect to the Romanian conditions, for environmental scientists, WWTP operators, and legal authorities. The data should support the improvement of existing WWTPs and implementation of new ones where necessary and, therefore, minimize the input of contaminants into ambient waters. Materials and methods The PPCPs were selected on the basis of consumption at the regional scale, reported aquatic toxicity, and the suitability of the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for the determination of the compounds at trace levels. The studied PPCPs, caffeine (stimulant), carbamazepine (antiepileptic), pentoxifylline (anticoagulant), cyclophosphamide (cytostatic), ibuprofen (analgesic), and galaxolide (musk fragrance), were determined in samples of the Somes River. The analytes were enriched by solid-phase extraction and subsequently determined by GC/MS. Caffeine, pentoxifylline, and galaxolide were determined underivatized, whereas the acidic pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, cyclophosphamide, and ibuprofen were determined after derivatization with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide. Results and discussion The concentrations in the Somes River varied from below 10 ng/L up to 10 μg/L. A substantial decrease of the exposure in the Somes River could be observed due to the upgrade of the municipal WWTP in Cluj-Napoca. The loads in the river stretch between Cluj-Napoca and Dej (Somes Mic) varied strongly:Environ Sci Pollut Res (2009) 16 (Suppl 1):S46-S54

The influence of Lemna sp. and Spirogyra sp. on the removal of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in treated wastewaters

“…The results obtained for CARB and CLF AC agree with their already stated high recalcitrance to biodegradation and photodegradation in surface waters, conventional activated sludge WWTPs and polishing ponds (Heberer 2002;Hijosa-Valsero et al 2010;Matamoros and Salvadó 2012;Moldovan et al 2009;Tixier et al 2003). Finally, the greater elimination of CARB (71 ± 4 % in 2 days) in reactors planted with Lemna sp.…”

Modelling the photochemical fate of ibuprofen in surface waters

“…The combination of widespread use and incomplete WWTP elimination results into an extensive occurrence of IBP in surface waters. Indeed, this compound has been detected in water systems all over the word (Zuccato et al, 2005;Zhao et al, 2009;Yu et al, 2009;Pailler et al, 2009;Moldovan et al, 2009;Fernandez et al, 2010;Camacho-Munoz et al, 2010;Loos et al, 2010;Teijon et al, 2010;Zhao et al, 2010;Helenkar et al, 2010;Waiser et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2011;Lewandowski et al, 2011).…”

Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products and Endocrine Disrupting Agents in the Environment – A Review

“…A substantial decrease in these compounds in the Somes River was observed due to the upgrade of the municipal WWTP in Cluj-Napoca as seen in Fig. 2 [34]. Cyclophosphamide and pentoxyfylline could not be detected, while the concentrations and loads of caffeine decreased by one order of magnitude after the upgrade of the WWTP Cluj-Napoca.…”

“…The Somes river (Romania), receives a variety of organic wastes from urban areas, factories and individual households, as well treated and nearly untreated wastewater effluents from several municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), among which the WWTP of the city Cluj-Napoca is the largest. It was observed that the concentrations of the pollutants varied strongly along the river course between the cities Cluj-Napoca and Dej as follows: caffeine: 230 -9700 ng/L, carbamazepine: 30 -70 ng/L, galaxolide: 10 -310 ng/L and ibuprofen: 30 -120 ng/L [34]. A substantial decrease in these compounds in the Somes River was observed due to the upgrade of the municipal WWTP in Cluj-Napoca as seen in Fig.…”