Occurrence and Bioaccumulation of Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals and Their Metabolites in Water and Fish in a Shallow Lake in China: Implications for Ecological and Human Health Risks

Abstract

Psychotropic pharmaceuticalsand their metabolites are a growing concern for aquatic environments and may accumulate in aquatic organisms. In this study, 21 parent psychotropic pharmaceuticals and 8 metabolites from three categories of psychotropic drugs (anxiolytics, antiepileptics, and antidepressants) were evaluated in Gao–Bao–Shaobo lake (GBSL), a shallow lake in China. Among them, 18 psychotropic pharmaceuticals and 8 metabolites were detected in water samples from GBSL (0.2 up to ∼24.5 ng/L), and 13 psychotropic pharmaceuticals and 5 metabolites were identified in fish (1 up to ∼126.2 ng/g dw). In the wet season, concentrations of psychotropic pharmaceuticals and their metabolites showed an increase from the inflow to the discharge subarea. Carbamazepine and sertraline were the dominant pharmaceuticals detected in fish with bioaccumulation factors, exceeding 5000 L/kg. Physicochemical parameters (log K ow and MW) were negatively correlated with the pharmaceutical levels in fish. Carbamazepine posed a moderate risk to aquatic organisms in all subareas. Hazard quotient results showed that the consumption of fish from GBSL is unlikely to exhibit a direct adverse effect on humans. Our results indicated that a comprehensive understanding of psychotropic pharmaceutical contaminations in surface waters should consider not only the parent pharmaceuticals but also the subsequent accumulation of their metabolites in fish.

Impact of Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent on Lakes: An Overview

“…Bioaccumulation of pharmaceutical compounds in aquatic organisms raises concerns as these substances can accumulate in organism tissues over time, resulting in higher concentrations at elevated trophic levels, a phenomenon known as biomagnification [82] This can escalate the concentrations of pharmaceuticals up the food chain, endangering predators, and higher-level consumers.…”