Occurrence and multiple-level ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in two shallow lakes of China

Abstract

Background: Management of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment has become a social issue. In the present study, concentrations of 140 PPCPs at 20 sites in Baiyangdian Lake and Tai Lake from 2016 to 2017 were analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS). Risk quotients (RQ) were calculated for each detected chemical at all sites and prioritization indices (PI), based on maximum RQ, were calculated. To assess the risk of chemicals that identified high priority (PI > 1), a more accurate method of joint probability curves (JPCs) was applied. Results: A total of 42 PPCPs were identified and quantified detected in the two lakes, with maximum concentrations ranging from 0.04 to 889 ng/L. Among these, seven PPCPs were identified as high or moderate-risk pollutants for at least one site, 3 in Tai Lake and 5 in Baiyangdian Lake. Carbamazepine posed significant ecological risk at all 20 sites, such that more attention should be paid to that drug. Based on results of the JPCs, sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, diethyltoluamide, and carbamazepine were categorized as high or intermediate risks. Conclusion: Occurrences and distributions of PPCPs were different in the two lakes. Multiple-level risk assessment from simple to more complex was appropriate in chemical risk management.

Development and Molecular Investigation into the Effects of Carbamazepine Exposure in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

“…Pharmaceuticals are bioactive chemicals used by humans for personal health and agricultural enterprises to improve animal growth [1,2]. Due to their widespread use, a significant number of pharmaceuticals have been discharged into aquatic environments [3][4][5]. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is one of the most frequently used antiepileptic drugs worldwide [6,7].…”

“…For example, CBZ was detected in 95% of the water samples collected from different locations around the United States of America (U.S.A.), and the mean concentration of CBZ in samples was~350 ng/L [10]. Moreover, CBZ was detected and posed ecological risk at 20 different sites from the Baiyangding Lake and Taihu Lake areas in China, and the authors emphasized that more attention should be given to CBZ as an environmental contaminant [5]. Based on these and other studies, concerns regarding the impacts of CBZ on non-target aquatic organisms remain and warrant additional investigation.…”

Assessment of the Potential Ecotoxicological Effects of Pharmaceuticals in the World's Rivers

“…For example, concentrations of antibiotics in surface waters have been shown to exceed PNEC values in European and Chinese surface waters (Guo et al, 2016; X. Liu et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2017; Yao et al, 2017). The anticonvulsant carbamazepine has been reported to occur at concentrations of concern for acute and chronic effects in fish, Daphnia , and algae in Africa (Bagnis et al, 2020), China (N. Liu et al, 2020), and Israel (Topaz et al, 2020). Stimulants have been highlighted as a group of concern in terms of aquatic impacts in Poland (Styszko et al, 2021), Israel (Topaz et al, 2020), China (N. Liu et al, 2020), and Italy (Riva et al, 2019).…”

Triadimefon in Aquatic Environments: Occurrence, Fate, Toxicity and Risk

“…The rate of detection of triadimefon was 33.6%, and concentrations ranged from 0.185 to 5.220 µg/L [3]. The maximum concentration of triadimefon in the Tai Lake Basin was 0.00727 µg/L, but the detection rate was 100%, while the maximum detected concentration in Baiyangdian Lake was 0.13 µg/L [29,30]. Besides, triadimefon was also detected in three rivers, Bai, Chao and Chaobai, and a reservoir, Miyun, in Beijing, and some other waters including Poyang Lake, Ganjiang River and Xiushui River of Jiangxi Province.…”