Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine Disruptors in Wastewater Treatment Effluents and in the Water Supply System of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Due to a growing interest in the occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the aquatic environment and their potential impacts on humans and the environment, a collaborative study was conducted on these emerging contaminants in the effluents from the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and in the drinking water supply system of Calgary, Alberta. A number of PhACs and EDCs were detected in the WWTP effluents, at concentrations ranging from ng/L to low µ-g/L. Although these compounds were generally removed from WWTP effluents during wastewater treatment, some compounds, such as carbamazepine were more persistent. Some target PhACs and EDCs were detected at low ng/L levels in the surface and potable water in this study. Currently, there is no evidence that trace amounts of PhACs and EDCs in Calgary's waterways can have a health impact on humans, but they may pose adverse chronic effects on aquatic life.

Contaminantes emergentes em matrizes aquáticas do Brasil: cenário atual e aspectos analíticos, ecotoxicológicos e regulatórios

“…123 O bioensaio denominado YES, desenvolvido por Routledge e Sumpter em 1996, 194 vem sendo largamente utilizado para a avaliação da atividade estrogênica 195 de amostras ambientais tais como efluentes de ETE, [196][197][198][199] águas superficiais 9,51,93,200 e água tratada, 19,20 bem como para avaliar a eficiência de diferentes tipos de tratamento de efluentes. 196,[201][202][203] No Brasil, Sanchez confirmou a indução de vitelogenina por E2 e EE2 em peixes machos (Rhamdia quelen) nativos da região do Paraná. 204 Bergamasco e colaboradores reportaram a maior sensibilidade do bioensaio BLYES quando comparada às análises químicas por LC-MS/MS ao estudar quatro diferentes mananciais (Represa de Tanque Grande, Rio Atibaia, Rio Sorocaba e Rio Cotia) no Estado de São Paulo.…”

Seasonal and Spatial Distribution of Caffeine, Atrazine, Atenolol and DEET in Surface and Drinking Waters from the Brazilian Federal District

“…Caffeine levels were also investigated in different source waters from Lisbon, Portugal, by de Jesus Gaffney et al 40 The authors observed concentrations ranging from 30 to 46 ng L -1 in the rivers Tagus and Zêzere with highest levels credited to the discharge of WWTP effluents. In the region of Calgari, Canada, Chen et al 41 reported caffeine concentrations varying from 43 to 160 ng L -1 in the Bow River. Since sampling point was located upstream of the local WWTP, authors suggested that caffeine, as well as other pharmaceutically active compounds, entered the river through alternative pathways, such as improper discharges and/or private septic systems.…”

Estudio Exploratorio De La Presencia De Microcontaminantes en El Ciclo Urbano Del Agua en Colombia: Caso De Estudio Santiago De Cali

“…La presencia de MC en el agua superficial se ha atribuido a la descarga de aguas residuales y a la baja eficiencia de eliminación de los sistemas de tratamiento convencionales (Westerhoff et al 2005, Chen et al 2006, Hernando et al 2006, Zhou et al 2012. Esto resulta inconveniente para Colombia, donde se estima que sólo el 36 % de las aguas residuales domésticas urbanas son tratadas (DNP 2016).…”

“…En el agua potable, la presencia de MC se atribuye a que las plantas de tratamiento de agua potable (PTAP) convencionales no garantizan su completa eliminación por lo que se han reportado compuestos como la iopromida, ibuprofeno, carbamazepina y bisfenol A (BPA) en el agua potable (Westerhoff et al 2005, Chen et al 2006, Kim et al 2007). …”