Occurrence and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in surface waters of the Middle East and North Africa: A review

Mheidli, Nourhan; Malli, Ali; Mansour, Fatima; Al‐Hindi, Mahmoud

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158302

Cited by 23 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 94 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…RQ < 0.1 is assumed that risk is insignificant, 0.1 ≤ RQ ≥ 1 is low risk, 1 ≤ RQ ≥ 10 is moderate risk, and RQ >10 is high risk. The PNEC data used in this study is obtained from [58].…”

Section: Environmental Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of Trace-Level Antibiotics in the Msunduzi River: An Investigation into South African Environmental Pollution

Addis,

Adu,

Kumarasamy

et al. 2024

Antibiotics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The presence of antibiotics in the environmental matrix has raised concerns regarding their risk to the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Surface water, such as rivers, plays a pivotal role in the dispersion and transport of antibiotic residues. The effective monitoring of these contaminants requires investigating their sources and distribution. While numerous studies have been conducted globally to comprehend the emergence, prevalence, and management of these substances, the investigation of therapeutic antibiotics in Africa remains notably underrepresented. Consequently, data regarding these emerging contaminants in the African aquatic environments are scarce, warranting further exploration. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of four specific therapeutic antibiotics—tetracycline, sulfathiazole, penicillin g, and erythromycin—across different seasons in the Msunduzi River, Eastern South Africa. Three sampling campaigns were conducted during spring, autumn, and winter to assess the presence of these antibiotics in the river. Analyte extraction from water samples was achieved through solid-phase extraction, and quantification was performed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The findings reveal notable concentrations of these antibiotics in the river at locations closest to a wastewater treatment discharge point. Among the antibiotics studied, tetracycline (158.42–1290.43 ng/L) and sulfathiazole (112.68–1151.25 ng/L) were the most frequently detected compounds across the majority of the sampling sites and tributaries of the river. Erythromycin was less frequently detected in the surface water and wastewater effluent but was found to be a risk to algal species within the river. While wastewater effluents represent a significant source of antibiotic contamination in the river, tributaries from industrial areas and informal settlements were identified as continuous sources of antibiotic pollution. Thus, it is imperative to implement appropriate monitoring protocols to mitigate antibiotic pollution in the aquatic environment.

show abstract

Section: Environmental Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of Trace-Level Antibiotics in the Msunduzi River: An Investigation into South African Environmental Pollution

Addis,

Adu,

Kumarasamy

et al. 2024

Antibiotics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), more than one million pounds of BPA are released annually in the environment [ 14 ] through industrial and municipal wastewaters contaminating surface water (0.001–92 mg/m 3 ), groundwater (0.001–20 mg/m 3 ), and even more potable water [ 15 , 16 ]. Furthermore, DCF, a well-known anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs), is one of the pharmaceuticals included in the commission implementing decision (EU) on March 2015 watch list as it is highly detected in water matrices [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. These micropollutants, if discharged directly without treatment, cause a potential safety hazard to water sources, thus deepening the crisis of freshwater resources [ 20 , 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient Wastewater Treatment and Removal of Bisphenol A and Diclofenac in Mesocosm Flow Constructed Wetlands Using Granulated Cork as Emerged Substrate

Bessadok

Kraiem

Arous

et al. 2023

Toxics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are considered as low-cost and energy-efficient wastewater treatment systems. Media selection is one of the essential technical keys for their implementation. The purpose of this work was essentially to evaluate the removal efficiency of organic pollution and nitrogen from municipal wastewater (MWW) using different selected media (gravel/gravel amended with granulated cork) in mesocosm horizontal flow constructed wetlands (HFCWs). The results showed that the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium nitrogen removal of 80.53% and 42%, respectively, were recorded in the units filled with gravel amended with cork. The influence of macrophytes (Phragmites australis and Typha angustifolia) was studied and both species showed steeper efficiencies. The system was operated under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) i.e., 6 h, 24 h, 30 h, and 48 h. The obtained results revealed that the COD removal efficiency was significantly enhanced by up to 38% counter to the ammonium rates when HRT was increased from 6 h to 48 h. Moreover, the removal efficiency of two endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) namely, bisphenol A (BPA) and diclofenac (DCF) was investigated in two selected HFCWs, at 48 h HRT. The achieved results proved the high capacity of cork for BPA and DCF removal with the removal rates of 90.95% and 89.66%, respectively. The results confirmed the role of these engineered systems, especially for EDC removal, which should be further explored.

show abstract

“…Metoprolol is ranked among the top 20 frequently prescribed drugs in the United States and its consumption has been snowballing yearly across the globe 4,5 . Owing to the extensive use in human and veterinary medicine, metoprolol is frequently been detected in various environmental matrices globally, thus constituting a contaminant of emerging concern 6–8 . The aquatic environment is largely contaminated with metoprolol through discharge of sewage treatment plants effluents while the terrestrial environment is often contaminated through sewage sludge disposal, irrigation of crops with wastewater, feces discharged by animals, dumping of expired drugs into landfills as well as the direct application of animal manure for soil amendment 9–11 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4,5 Owing to the extensive use in human and veterinary medicine, metoprolol is frequently been detected in various environmental matrices globally, thus constituting a contaminant of emerging concern. [6][7][8] The aquatic environment is largely contaminated with metoprolol through discharge of sewage treatment plants effluents while the terrestrial environment is often contaminated through sewage sludge disposal, irrigation of crops with wastewater, feces discharged by animals, dumping of expired drugs into landfills as well as the direct application of animal manure for soil amendment. [9][10][11] Although arable soil is amended by organic urban and animal wastes, pharmaceuticals, and other micropollutants in these wastes are well acknowledged to cause unpremeditated negative consequences in the environment.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Metoprolol elicits neurobehavioral insufficiency and oxidative damage in nontarget Nauphoeta cinerea nymphs

Oyedele

Adedara

Ikeji

et al. 2023

Environmental Toxicology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Metoprolol, a drug for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, has become a contaminant of emerging concern because of its frequent detection in various environmental matrices globally. The dwindling in the biodiversity of useful insects owing to increasing presence of environmental chemicals is currently a great interest to the scientific community. In the current research, the toxicological impact of ecologically relevant concentrations of metoprolol at 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 μg/L on Nauphoeta cinerea nymphs following exposure for 42 consecutive days was evaluated. The insects' behavior was analyzed with automated video‐tracking software (ANY‐maze, Stoelting Co, USA) while biochemical assays were done using the midgut, head and fat body. Metoprolol‐exposed nymphs exhibited significant diminutions in the path efficiency, mobility time, distance traveled, body rotation, maximum speed and turn angle cum more episodes, and time of freezing. In addition, the heat maps and track plots confirmed the metoprolol‐mediated wane in the exploratory and locomotor fitness of the insects. Compared with control, metoprolol exposure decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in insects head. Antioxidant enzymes activities and glutathione level were markedly decreased whereas indices of inflammation and oxidative injury to proteins and lipids were significantly increased in head, midgut and fat body of metoprolol‐exposed insects. Taken together, metoprolol exposure induces neurobehavioral insufficiency and oxido‐inflammatory injury in N. cinerea nymphs. These findings suggest the potential health effects of environmental contamination with metoprolol on ecologically and economically important nontarget insects.

show abstract

Occurrence and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in surface waters of the Middle East and North Africa: A review

Cited by 23 publications

References 94 publications

Occurrence of Trace-Level Antibiotics in the Msunduzi River: An Investigation into South African Environmental Pollution

Occurrence of Trace-Level Antibiotics in the Msunduzi River: An Investigation into South African Environmental Pollution

Efficient Wastewater Treatment and Removal of Bisphenol A and Diclofenac in Mesocosm Flow Constructed Wetlands Using Granulated Cork as Emerged Substrate

Metoprolol elicits neurobehavioral insufficiency and oxidative damage in nontarget Nauphoeta cinerea nymphs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About