Simultaneous determination of human pharmaceuticals in water samples by solid phase extraction and HPLC with UV-fluorescence detection

Dendrimer Coated Silica as a Sorbent for Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction of Select Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs from Water

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been recognized as a potentially serious threat to the natural environment. NSAIDs are popular painkillers, and the main pathway for them to reach natural water is via discharge from wastewater and sewage treatment plants. In order to monitor contamination caused by these drugs, as well as their impact on the environment, a new material based on Silica Gel 60, functionalized with a dendrimeric copolymer of methylamine and 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (named MA-BDDE), was prepared. Initial physicochemical characterization of the MA-BDDE material was carried out using ATR FT-IR spectroscopy as well as solid-state carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy. Its effectiveness at NSAID extraction was evaluated by the application of five select drugs in dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE): aspirin, ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen. This was followed by their simultaneous determination using the HPLC-UV/Vis system demonstrating good sensitivity, with limits of detection values within the 63-265 ng mL-1 range. A comparison of the sorption capacity of each pharmaceutical with unmodified base silica showed an at least tenfold increase in capacity after modification. Initial MA-BDDE application in a quick, low-waste extraction procedure of those select NSAIDs from spiked surface water samples yielded promising results for its use as a sorbent, as recovery values of analytes adsorbed from various samples were found to exceed 72%.

Development of a surface plasmon resonance based immunosensor for diclofenac quantification in water

A Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensor based on an inhibition immunoassay was developed for the detection of diclofenac (DCF) in aqueous solution. Due to the small size of DCF, an hapten-protein conjugate was produced by coupling DCF to bovine serum albumin (BSA). DCF-BSA conjugate formation was confirmed via MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The resulting conjugate was immobilized onto the surface of a sensor fabricated via e-beam deposition of a 2 nm chromium adhesion layer followed by a 50 nm gold layer onto precleaned BK7 glass slides. Immobilization onto the nano thin gold surface was accomplished by covalent amide linkage through a self-assembled monolayer. Samples were composed of a mixture of antibody at a fixed concentration and DCF at different known concentrations in deionized water, causing the inhibition of anti-DCF on the sensor. The DCF-BSA was obtained with a ratio of 3 DCF molecules per BSA. A calibration curve was performed using concentrations between 2 and 32 μg L^-1. The curve was fitted using the Boltzmann equation, reaching a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.15 μg L^-1 and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 10.52 μg L^-1, the inter-day precision was calculated and an RSD value of 1.96% was obtained; and analysis time of 10 min. The developed biosensor is a preliminary approach to the detection of DCF in environmental water samples, and the first SPR biosensor developed for DCF detection using a hapten-protein conjugate.

Toxic effects of a mixture of pharmaceuticals in Mytilus galloprovincialis: The case of 17α-ethinylestradiol and salicylic acid

The impact of pharmaceuticals on marine invertebrates has been a topic of rising concern, with an increasing number of studies regarding the impacts on bivalves. However, very few investigated the toxicity of mixtures of pharmaceuticals. This knowledge gap was investigated in the present study, where the toxicity of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and salicylic acid (SA) mixture was evaluated. To this end, Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels were chronically subjected to both pharmaceuticals, acting alone and in combination, and the effects at the cellular level were measured. The Independent Action (IA) model was performed aiming to compare obtained with predicted responses. The integrated biomarker response (IBR) index was used to assess the overall biochemical response given by mussels. The results obtained revealed that the most stressful condition was caused by the combined effect of EE2 and SA, with the highest metabolic capacity, antioxidant (catalase activity) and biotransformation (carboxylesterases activity) activation and cellular damage in organisms exposed to the mixture of both drugs in comparison to responses observed when each drug was acting alone. Predicted responses obtained from the IA model indicate that caution should be paid as frequent deviations to observed responses were found. This study highlights the need for future studies considering the mixture of pollutants, mimicking the actual environmental conditions.

Gene expression and biochemical patterns in the digestive gland of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) exposed to 17α-ethinylestradiol

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are a class of chemicals that can spread throughout the environment and may cause adverse biological and ecological effects. While there are many different classes of CECs, one of the most well documented in the aquatic environment are pharmaceutical drugs, such as natural and synthetic estrogens. In particular, the widespread presence of the synthetic estrogen 17 α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) in water may lead to bioaccumulation in sediment and biota. EE2 is the primary component in contraceptive pills, and is a derivative of the natural hormone estradiol (E2). In this study, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was exposed to EE2 in a semi-static and time-dependent experiment, for a total exposure period of 28 days. Biochemical and transcriptomics analyses were performed on mussel digestive glands after exposure for 14 (T14) and 28 (T28) days. Metabolic and DNA impairments, as well as activation of antioxidant and biotransformation enzymes activation, were detected in T28 exposed mussels. RNA-Seq analysis showed significant differential expression of 160 (T14 compared to controls), 33 (T28 compared to controls) and 79 (T14 compared to T28) genes. Signs of stress after EE2 treatment included up-regulation of gene/proteins involved with immune function, lipid transport, and metabolic and antibacterial properties. This study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of EE2 in a filter feeding organisms to elucidate the effects of this human pharmaceutical on aquatic biota.

Highly sensitive and simultaneous electrochemical determinations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in water using nanostructured carbon-based paste electrodes

Simple and fast simultaneous quantifications in water of anti-inflammatory drugs, which belong to the emerging pollutants, represents a great challenge for water quality control. The development of electrochemical methods to meet the simultaneous and concomitant detection requirements depends mainly on the electrode material. The fullerene‑carbon nanofiber (FULL/CNF) and graphene‑carbon nanotubes (GR/CNT) paste electrodes as sensing elements were employed for the first time for the determination of diclofenac (DCF), naproxen (NPX) and ibuprofen (IBP) simultaneously and concomitantly. The comparative morphostructural and electrochemical characterizations of both electrodes were achieved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Differential-pulsed voltammetry (DPV), chronoamperometry (CA) and multiple-pulsed amperometry (MPA) were used for detection tests. FULL/CNF electrode was suitable to develop a simultaneous DPV-based detection methodology that allowed reaching the lowest limit of detections of 0.230 nM for DCF, 0.310 nM for NPX and 0.180 nM for IBP. GR/CNT electrode did not provide stability for DPV-based detection, but the lowest limits of detection of 0.149 nM for DCF, 0.809 nM for NPX and 0.640 nM for IBP were achieved by MPA-based methodology. Both electrodes, linked to specific detection technique, showed good reproducibility, stability and ability to measure DCF, NPX and IBP simultaneously in aqueous solution. The satisfactory results achieved by analysis of real surface water sample (Bega River, Timisoara city, Romania) indicated that the proposed voltammetric and amperometric methodologies using both electrodes have great potential for practical applications in analysis of different water samples.

Pharmaceuticals, natural and synthetic hormones and phenols in sediments from an eutrophic estuary, Jurujuba Sound, Guanabara Bay, Brazil

A screening for microcontaminants performed by gas chromatography detected several microcontaminants in 12 sediment samples from the eutrophic estuary Guanabara Bay (GB) in southeastern Brazil. Bisphenol A (BPA) ranged from 1.4 to 20.3 ng g^-1, 4-octylphenol, from <limit of detection (LD) to 0.9 ng g^-1, 4-nonylphenol, from <LD to 3 ng g^-1, gemfibrozil, from <LD to 1.4 ng g^-1, naproxen, from <LD to 15.5 ng g^-1m Ibuprofen, from <LD ng g^-1 and diclofenac, from <LD to 0.9 ng g^-1. Among estrogens, estrone, estradiol, ethinylestradiol and estriol were detected, ranging, respectively from <LD to 5.7 ng g^-1, <LD to 18.1 ng g^-1, <LD to 22.9 ng g^-1 and <LD to 0.5 ng g^-1. A strong and positive correlation between 4-nonylphenol and estrone and a moderate and positive correlation between bisphenol A and estradiol were noted. These findings demonstrating high levels of the detected microcontaminants in all analyzed samples, indicating chronic GB pollution.

Occurrence, hazard, and risk of psychopharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in European surface waters

This study aimed to provide insights into the risk posed by psychopharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in European surface waters, and to identify current knowledge gaps hampering this risk assessment. First, the availability and quality of data on the concentrations of psychopharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in surface waters (occurrence) and on the toxicity to aquatic organisms (hazard) were reviewed. If both occurrence and ecotoxicity data were available, risk quotients (risk) were calculated. Where abundant ecotoxicity data were available, a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) was constructed, from which the hazardous concentration for 5% of the species (HC₅) was derived, allowing to derive integrated multi-species risks. A total of 702 compounds were categorised as psychopharmaceuticals and illicit drugs based on a combination of all 502 anatomical therapeutic class (ATC) 'N' pharmaceuticals and a list of illicit drugs according to the Dutch Opium Act. Of these, 343 (49%) returned occurrence data, while only 105 (15%) returned ecotoxicity data. Moreover, many ecotoxicity tests used irrelevant endpoints for neurologically active compounds, such as mortality, which may underestimate the hazard of psychopharmaceuticals. Due to data limitations, risks could only be assessed for 87 (12%) compounds, with 23 (3.3%) compounds indicating a potential risk, and several highly prescribed drugs returned neither occurrence nor ecotoxicity data. Primary bottlenecks in risk calculation included the lack of ecotoxicity data, a lack of diversity of test species and ecotoxicological end points, and large disparities between well studied and understudied compounds for both occurrence and toxicity data. This study identified which compounds merit concern, as well as the many compounds that lack the data for any calculation of risk, driving research priorities. Despite the large knowledge gaps, we concluded that the presence of a substantial part (26%) of data-rich psychopharmaceuticals in surface waters present an ecological risk for aquatic non-target organisms.

Crosslinked 4-Vinylpyridine Monodisperse Functional Microspheres for Sorption of Ibuprofen and Ketoprofen

Nowadays, ibuprofen and ketoprofen are widely used over-the-counter medications to treat inflammation, fever, or pain. Their high consumption and improper disposal cause them to get into the environment and often pollute surface water. In this study, the new polymeric porous microspheres based on 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) are presented as effective sorbents for ibuprofen and ketoprofen preconcentration and removal. The porous microspheres were obtained via seed swelling polymerization with the use of two types of methacrylate crosslinkers, i.e., trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) and 1,4-dimethacryloiloxybenzene (14DMB). Additionally, as a reference sorbent, a copolymer of styrene and divinylbenzene was obtained. Porous structure investigations showed that the microspheres possess a specific surface area of about 100 m²/g, but noticeable differences were observed in their internal topography depending on the type of crosslinker used. Moreover, the porous structure of dry and swollen microspheres differs significantly. Swollen copolymers reveal the presence of micropores. The 4VP microspheres are characterized by high thermal stability; their initial decomposition temperature is about 300 °C. The performance of the 4VP copolymers as sorbents in aqueous solutions of drugs was evaluated in static and dynamic modes at three pH values of 3, 7, and 11. The highest sorption efficiency was obtained for ibuprofen and ketoprofen in pH 3. Both 4VP copolymers indicate the high sorption capacity in a static sorption as follows: towards ketoprofen of about 40 mg/g whereas towards ibuprofen of about 90 mg/g and 75 mg/g on copolymer crosslinked with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate and 1,4-dimethacryloiloxybenzene, respectively. The recovery of ibuprofen and ketoprofen after dynamic sorption experiments was higher than 90%.

Effective removal of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug from wastewater by adsorption process using acid-treated Fagopyrum esculentum husk

In this work, buckwheat husks (Fagopyrum esculentum) were modified by acid treatment and posteriorly employed to remove the ketoprofen in batch adsorption. The characterization results indicated that a more irregular surface with new empty spaces was generated after acid treatment. The adsorptive process was favored at acidic pH = 3. The dosage of 0.85 g L^-1 was fixed for the kinetic and isothermal tests, obtaining good removal and capacity indications. The kinetic studies were better represented by pseudo-second-order, obtaining an experimental capacity of 74.3 mg g^-1 for 200 mg L^-1 of ketoprofen. An increase in temperature negatively affected the adsorption isotherm curves, resulting in a maximum capacity of 194.1 mg g^-1. Thermodynamic results confirmed the exothermic nature of the process with physical forces acting. The adsorbent presented high efficiency in treating a synthetic effluent containing different drugs and salts, 71.2%. Therefore, adsorbent development from buckwheat husks treated with a strong acid is an excellent alternative, given the good removal results and the low cost for its preparation.

Occurrence, sources and environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey

In the present study, the occurrence and spatial distribution of selected eleven pharmaceuticals were investigated in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Samples were collected from different depths of the nine stations in April and October 2019. Pharmaceuticals were analyzed using liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction (SPE) methods followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All target pharmaceutical compounds were detected at least once in the study area. Gemfibrozil, which belongs to the lipid regulatory group, was the most frequently detected in seawater at high concentrations (<0.016-9.71 μg/L). Ibuprofen (<0.015-2.13 μg/L) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (<0.010-3.55 μg/L) were identified as the other frequently detected pharmaceuticals. In addition, the presence of these selected compounds in April was higher than in October. According to the risk assessment results, naproxen, diclofenac, clofibric acid, gemfibrozil, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethynylestradiol represent a high risk to aquatic organisms in the Sea of Marmara. These findings underline the importance of continued monitoring of these compounds as relevant organic contaminants in the study area to take appropriate measures to protect the ecosystem and, ultimately, human health.

Behavioral, physiological and biochemical responses and differential gene expression in Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol and sodium lauryl sulfate

Mixture of contaminants often determine biological responses of marine species, making difficult the interpretation of toxicological data. The pharmaceutical 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and the surfactant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) commonly co-occur in the marine environment. This study evaluated the effects of EE2 (125.0 ng/L) and SLS (4 mg/L), acting individually and combined, in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Contaminated mussels closed their valves for longer periods than control ones, especially in the presence of both contaminants, with longer closure periods immediately after spiking compared to values obtained one day after spiking. Nevertheless, males and females increased their metabolism when in the presence of both contaminants (males) and SLS (females), and independently on the treatment males and females were able to activate their antioxidant and biotransformation defences. Although enhancing defences mussels still presented cellular damage and loss of redox balance, especially noticed in the presence of EE2 for males and SLS for females. Histopathological damage was found at mussel's gills in single and mixture exposure, and qPCR analysis revealed a clear estrogen receptor expression with no additive effect due to combined stressors. The results obtained highlight the harmful capacity of both contaminants but further research on this matter is needed, namely considering different climate change scenarios.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with Fluorescence Detection for Quantification of Steroids in Clinical, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Samples: A Review

Steroids are compounds widely available in nature and synthesized for therapeutic and medical purposes. Although several analytical techniques are available for the quantification of steroids, their analysis is challenging due to their low levels and complex matrices of the samples. The efficiency and quick separation of the HPLC combined with the sensitivity, selectivity, simplicity, and cost-efficiency of fluorescence, make HPLC coupled to fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) an ideal tool for routine measurement and detection of steroids. In this review, we covered HPLC-FLD methods reported in the literature for the steroids quantification in clinical, pharmaceutical, and environmental applications, focusing on the various approaches of fluorescent derivatization. The aspects related to analytical methodology including sample preparation, derivatization reagents, and chromatographic conditions will be discussed.

How temperature rise will influence the toxic impacts of 17 α-ethinylestradiol in Mytilus galloprovincialis?

Pharmaceutical drugs are Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) and are continuously discharged into the environment. As a result of human and veterinary use, these substances are reaching aquatic coastal systems, with limited information regarding the toxic effects of these compounds towards inhabiting organisms. Among CECs are pharmaceuticals like 17 α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), which is a synthetic hormone with high estrogenic potency. EE2 has been increasingly found in different aquatic systems but few studies addressed its potential toxicity to marine wildlife, in particular to bivalves. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of temperature (17 °C-control and 21 °C) on the potential effects of EE2 on the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. For this purpose, mussels were exposed to different concentrations of EE2 (5.0; 25.0; 125.0 and 625 ng/L), resembling low to highly polluted sites. Mussels exposed to each concentration were maintained under two temperatures, 17 and 21 °C, which represent actual and predicted warming conditions, respectively. After 28 days, oxidative stress status, metabolism related parameters, neurotoxicity and histopathological alterations were measured. The results obtained clearly showed an interactive effect of increased temperature and EE2, with limited antioxidant and biotransformation capacity when both stressors were acting together, leading to higher cellular damage. The combination of both stressors also enhanced mussels' metabolic capacity and neurotoxic effects. Nevertheless, loss of redox balance was confirmed by the strong decrease of the ratio between reduce glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in contaminated mussels, regardless the temperature. Histopathological indexes in contaminated mussels were significantly different from the control group, indicating impacts in gills and digestive glands of mussels due to EE2, with higher values observed at 21 °C. Overall, this study demonstrates that of EE2 represents a threat to mussels and predicted warming conditions will enhance the impacts, which in a near future might result in impairments at the population and community levels.

Metabolic and oxidative status alterations induced in Ruditapes philippinarum exposed chronically to estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol under a warming scenario

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is an ongoing concern. However, the information regarding their effects under different climate change scenarios is still scarce. 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is widely present in different aquatic systems showing negative impacts on aquatic organisms even when present at trace concentrations (≈1 ng/L). Nevertheless, its impact on bivalves is poorly understood, especially considering the influence of climate change factors. This study aimed to assess the toxicological impacts of EE2 under current and predicted warming scenarios, in the edible clam Ruditapes philippinarum. For this, clams were exposed for 28 days to different EE2 concentrations (5, 25, 125, 625 ng/L), under two temperatures (17 °C (control) and 21 °C). Drug concentrations, bioconcentration factors and biochemical parameters, related to oxidative stress and energy metabolism, were evaluated. Results showed that under actual and predicted temperature scenarios EE2 concentrations led to a disturbance in redox homeostasis of the clams, characterized by an increase in oxidized glutathione in contaminated organisms compared to control ones. Nevertheless, clams were capable to cope with the stressful conditions, activating their defence mechanisms (especially at the highest exposure concentration and in particular at increased temperature), and no oxidative damage occured. Although limited effects were observed, the present findings indicate that under both temperatures contaminated clams altered their biochemical performance, which can impair their sensitivity and protection capacity to respond to other environmental changes and/or affect their capacity to grow and reproduce. The results presented here highlight the need for further research on this thematic, considering that climate change is an ongoing problem, and the levels of some pharmaceutical drugs will continue to increase in marine/estuarine environments.

A Fully Automated Online SPE-LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of 10 Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater Samples

The increasing use of pharmaceuticals, their presence in the aquatic environment, and the associated toxic effects, have raised concerns in recent years. In this work, a new multi-residue analytical method was developed and validated for the determination of 10 pharmaceuticals in wastewaters using online solid-phase extraction (online SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The compounds included in the method were antineoplastics (cabazitaxel, docetaxel, doxorubicin, etoposide, irinotecan, methotrexate, paclitaxel, and topotecan), renin inhibitors (aliskiren), and antidepressants (maprotiline). The method was developed through several experiments on four online SPE cartridges, three reversed phase chromatography columns, and four combinations of mobile phase components. Under optimal conditions, very low limits of detection (LODs) of 1.30 to 10.6 ng L⁻¹ were obtained. The method was repeatable, with relative standard deviations (RSD, %) for intraday and interday precisions ranged from 1.6 to 7.8 and from 3.3 to 13.2, respectively. Recovery values ranged from 78.4 to 111.4%, indicating the reproducibility of the method. Matrix effects were mainly presented as signal suppression, with topotecan and doxorubicin being the two most affected compounds (31.0% signal suppression). The proposed method was successfully applied to hospital effluents, detecting methotrexate (4.7–9.3 ng L⁻¹) and maprotiline (11.2–23.1 ng L⁻¹). Due to the shorter overall run time of 15 min, including sample preparation, and reduced sample volume (0.9 mL), this on-line SPE-LC-MS/MS method was extremely convenient and efficient in comparison to the classical off-line SPE method. The proposed method was also highly sensitive and can be used for ultratrace quantification of the studied pharmaceuticals in wastewaters, providing useful data for effective environmental monitoring.

Distribution and Estrogenic Risk of Alkylphenolic Compounds, Hormones and Drugs Contained in Water and Natural Surface Sediments, Morelos, Mexico

This study evaluated the distribution and potential estrogenic risk of the presence of bisphenol A (BPA), 4-nonylphenol (4NP), naproxen (NPX), ibuprofen (IBU), 17-β-estradiol (E2) and 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in water and sediments of the Apatlaco river micro-basin (Morelos, Mexico). The concentration of the determined compounds ranged between <LOD to 86.40 ng·L−1 and <LOD to 3.97 ng g−1 in water and sediments, respectively. The Log Kd distribution obtained (from 1.05 to 1.91 L Kg−1) indicates that the compounds tend to be adsorbed in sediments, which is probably due to the hydrophobic interactions confirmed by the significant correlations determined mainly between the concentrations and parameters of total organic carbon (TOC), total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Of five sites analyzed, four presented estrogenic risk due to the analyzed endocrine-disrupting compounds (EEQE2 > 1 ng·L−1).

Sample Preparation and Analytical Methods for Steroid Hormones in Environmental and Food Samples: An Update Since 2012

Steroid hormones (SHs) have been widely used over the past few decades as both human and veterinary drugs to prevent or treat infectious diseases and anti-inflammatory benefits in clinical. Unfortunately, their residues in foodstuffs and environmental samples can produce adverse effects on human and animal life such as disrupting the endocrine system. For these reasons, sensitive, simple and efficient methods have been developed for the determination of these compounds in various matrices. This critical review summarized the articles published in the period from 2012 to 2019 and can be used to help researchers to understand development of the sample pretreatment protocols and analytical methods used to detect SHs. The developed extraction and purification techniques used for steroids in different samples, such as cloud point extraction, solid phase extraction based on different novel materials, microextraction methods, QuEChERS and other methods are summarized and discussed. Analytical methods used to quantify these compounds, such as different chromatography methods, electrochemical methods, as well as other methods, are illustrated and compared. We focused on the latest advances in SHs pretreatment, and the application of new technologies in SHs analysis.

Capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography for determining steroids in concentrates of purified water from Päijänne Lake

The research was done with partial filling micellar electrokinetic chromatography, microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography, and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. The study focuses on determination of male and female steroids from cold and hot tap water of households in Helsinki City. The district´s raw water is made run from Päijänne Lake through a water tunnel to the purification plants in Helsinki area. The effluents delivered from the plants to households as tap water were sampled and used for the study. They were concentrated with solid phase extraction to exceed the detection limits of the three methods. With partial filling method the limits were 0.50, 0.48, 0.33, and 0.50 mg/L for androsterone, testosterone, progesterone, and testosterone-glucuronide, respectively. In microemulsion method the limit values were 1.33, 1.11, and 0.40 mg/L for androsterone, testosterone, and progesterone, respectively, and 0.83, 0.45, and 0.50 mg/L for hydrocortisone, 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone, and 17-α-methyltestosterone, respectively. In the tap water samples, progesterone concentrations represented the highest values being 0.22 and 1.18 ng/L in cold and hot water, respectively. They also contained testosterone (in all samples), its glucuronide metabolite (in 25% of the samples), and androstenedione (in 75% of the samples). The ultra-high liquid chromatographic method with mass spectrometric detection was used for identification of the steroids at µg/L level.

Univariate and multivariate assisted spectrophotometric methods for determination of rosuvastatin calcium and fenofibrate in bulk powders and tablets along with their degradation products

Rosuvastatin calcium and fenofibrate are recently co-formulated for treatment of hyperlipidemia. Two selective spectrophotometric approaches were developed, the first is univariate manipulation of spectrophotometric data, where isoabsorptive point and dual wavelength method were applied. The total concentration of rosuvastatin calcium and fenofibrate could be determined at λ = 253.2 nm while rosuvastatin calcium was determined with dual wavelength (λ = 243.5 and 307.9 nm) where linearity was achieved in the range of 2.00-22.00 µg/mL and mean accuracy 100.29 ± 0.568 then, by difference, Fenofibrate was determined in the range of 2.00-22.00 µg/mL and mean accuracy 100.23 ± 0.578. The second approach is a stability indicating multivariate modeling namely principal component regression and partial least squares, where the two drugs were determined in the presence of their degradation products. 17 samples were prepared according to five levels four factors calibration design. The developed models were described by 4 latent variables, and good prediction was evidenced by low root mean square error of prediction. The proposed methods were found to be rapid and simple and required no preliminary separation. Rosuvastatin calcium and fenofibrate were analyzed with mean recoveries 99.54 ± 0.903, 99.88 ± 0.548 and 99.50 ± 0.712, 99.30 ± 0.802, respectively. The two drugs were successfully determined in tablets by the developed methods and the results were compared to HPLC methods, where they were found to be statistically non-significant.

Simultaneous detection of diethylstilbestrol and estradiol residues with a single immunochromatographic assay strip

An immunochromatographic assay (ICA) based on competitive format was developed and validated for simultaneously rapid and sensitive detection of diethylstilbestrol (DES) and estradiol (E2) in milk and tissue samples. For this purpose, two monoclonal antibodies raised against those two estrogens were conjugated to gold nanoparticles and were applied to the conjugate pads of the test strip. The competitors of the DES-BSA/E2-BSA conjugates were immobilized onto a nitrocellulose membrane at two detection zones to form T1 and T2, respectively. The immunochromatographic assay had a visual detection limit of DES at 30 ng/g in milk powder, 25 ng/g in liquid milk, and 25 ng/g in shrimp tissue, respectively, and the results can be judged within 7-10 min. The visual detection limit of E2 was 75 ng/g in milk powder, 65 ng/g in liquid milk, and 60 ng/g in shrimp tissue, respectively, and the results can be judged within 3-4 min. It had advantages in easy operation without requiring sophisticated equipment and specialized skills. By testing thirty milk and shrimp tissue samples from the local market, the method was compared with the HPLC-MS / MS method, and there was no statistical difference between the two methods. Furthermore, the immunochromatographic assay had good specificity, simple procedure, and low cost. This protocol was well suited for the food safety monitoring and early warning.

Overview of Sample Preparation and Chromatographic Methods to Analysis Pharmaceutical Active Compounds in Waters Matrices

In the environment, pharmaceutical residues are a field of particular interest due to the adverse effects to either human health or aquatic and soil environment. Because of the diversity of these compounds, at least 3000 substances were identified and categorized into 49 different therapeutic classes, and several actions are urgently required at multiple steps, the main ones: (i) occurrence studies of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) in the water cycle; (ii) the analysis of the potential impact of their introduction into the aquatic environment; (iii) the removal/degradation of the pharmaceutical compounds; and, (iv) the development of more sensible and selective analytical methods to their monitorization. This review aims to present the current state-of-the-art sample preparation methods and chromatographic analysis applied to the study of PhACs in water matrices by pinpointing their advantages and drawbacks. Because it is almost impossible to be comprehensive in all PhACs, instruments, extraction techniques, and applications, this overview focuses on works that were published in the last ten years, mainly those applicable to water matrices.

Optimization and application of hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction and microwave-assisted extraction for the analysis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in aqueous and plant samples

Human consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is increasing, which poses a great risk of pollution by these pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment. Therefore, this study reports the optimization of microwave-assisted extraction using water as a green solvent and hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) methods followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of NSAIDs in wastewater and aquatic plant, Eichhornia crassipes. The optimized MAE resulted in efficient transfer of selected NSAIDs from plant samples into the aqueous phase yielding the recoveries ranging from 91 to115%. A multivariate approach based on half fractional factorial and central composite design was used during the optimization of HF-LPME. Under the optimized conditions, the maximum enrichment factors for naproxen, fenoprofen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen were 49, 126, 93 and 156, respectively. The overall analytical method recoveries ranged from 86 to 116% while the limits of quantitation for wastewater and plant samples ranged from 0.09 to 0.59 μg L^-1 and from 0.11 to 0.59 μg kg^-1, respectively. The precision of the proposed analytical method which was measured in terms of RSD values did not exceed 5%. Naproxen was the most abundant compound in both wastewater and the Eichhornia crassipes plant samples with concentrations of up to 3.30 μg L^-1 and 10.97 μg kg^-1, respectively. The detection of NSAIDs in Eichhornia crassipes means this plant has the ability to bioaccumulate pharmaceutical load in surface water.

Removal of pharmaceutical compounds commonly-found in wastewater through a hybrid biological and adsorption process

Nowadays, alternative options to conventional wastewater treatment should be studied due to rising concerns emerged by the presence of pharmaceuticals compounds (PhCs) in the aquatic environment. In this work, a combined system including biological treatment by activated sludge plus adsorption with activated carbon is proposed to remove three selected drugs (acetaminophen (ACT), caffeine (CAF) and ibuprofen (IBU)) in a concentration of 2 mg L^-1 of each one. For it three sequencing batch reactors (SBR) were operated. SBR-B treated a synthetic wastewater (SWW) without target drugs and SBR-PhC and SBR-PhC + AC operated with SWW doped with the three drugs, adding into SBR-PhC + AC 1.5 g L^-1 of a mesoporous granular activated carbon. Results showed that the hybrid system SBR-activated carbon produced an effluent free of PhCs, which in addition had higher quality than that achieved in a conventional activated sludge treatment in terms of lower COD, turbidity and SMP concentrations. On the other hand, five possible routes of removal for target drugs during the biological treatment were studied. Hydrolysis, oxidation and volatilization pathways were negligible after 6 h of reaction time. Adsorption route only was significant for ACT, which was adsorbed completely after 5 h of reaction, while only 1.9% of CAF and 5.6% of IBU were adsorbed. IBU was the least biodegradable compound.

Comparison of the regulatory outline of ecopharmacovigilance of pharmaceuticals in Europe, USA, Japan and Australia

Pharmaceuticals are known to improve the quality of life by curing and preventing diseases. However, these pharmaceutical products, when it diffuses through the environment by various routes, can cause severe harmful effects to the living organisms. During the last several years, the coping with the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment was one of the challenging tasks for the pharmaceutical industries. These concerns about the environmental health and safety risks paved the way in developing a proper regulatory framework for environmental risk assessment of pharmaceutical products. In the US, EU, and Canada, most improvements have been made in the regulation of Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) for pharmaceuticals. Many countries and organizations like the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), had adapted these ERA procedures to fulfil the purpose. At present, there are no specific guidelines for ERA of pharmaceuticals in Japan, Australia and many other countries. Nevertheless, it is expected that they will have strict regulations and legal requirements in the future. The purpose of this study is to understand and compare the ERA regulation in Europe, USA, Japan and Australia. In this review, we have summarized the knowledge on ERA of pharmaceuticals and its consequences on the environment. It is therefore necessary to establish an eco-pharmacovigilance system for monitoring and collection of data, which would eradicate the risk of pharmaceuticals entering into the surroundings.

Occurrence, interactive effects and ecological risk of diclofenac in environmental compartments and biota - a review

Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug has turned into a contaminant of emerging concern; hence, it was included in the previous Watch List of the EU Water Framework Directive. This review paper aims to highlight the metabolism of diclofenac at different trophic levels, its occurrence, ecological risks, and interactive effects in the water cycle and biota over the past two decades. Increased exposure to diclofenac not only raises health concerns for vultures, aquatic organisms, and higher plants but also causes serious threats to mammals. The ubiquitous nature of diclofenac in surface water (river, lake canal, estuary, and sea) is compared with drinking water, groundwater, and wastewater effluent in the environment. This comprehensive survey from previous studies suggests the fate of diclofenac in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and may predict its persistence in the environment. This review offers evidence of fragmentary available data for the water environment, soil, sediment, and biota worldwide and supports the need for further data to address the risks associated with the presence of diclofenac in the environment. Finally, we suggest that the presence of diclofenac and its metabolites in the environment may represent a high risk because of their synergistic interactions with existing contaminants, leading to the development of drug-resistant strains and the formation of newly emerging pollutants.

Antihyperlipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of Averrhoa Carambola Extract in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

The present study explored the antihyperlipidemic potential of a standardized methanolic extract of Averrhoa carambola (A. carambola) leaf (MEACL) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats. The standardized MEACL was orally administered at different doses (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) to HFD-induced hyperlipidemic rats for five weeks. Serum lipid profile, body weight changes, body mass index (BMI), daily food intake, relative organ weight, and histology of the liver were evaluated. In addition, the effect of MEACL on HMG-CoA reductase and pancreatic lipase activities as well as hepatic and fecal lipids was demonstrated. MEACL supplementation reduced serum lipids in HFD-fed rats in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological scores revealed that 1000 mg/kg MEACL restored the damage to liver tissue in hyperlipidemic rats. MEACL decreased the body mass index (BMI), atherogenic index, and hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides and increased fecal cholesterol and bile acids in HFD-fed rats. Also, MEACL ameliorated lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidant defenses in the liver of HFD-fed rats. Furthermore, HMG-CoA reductase and lipase were suppressed by MEACL. In conclusion, this study shows the potential effect of MEACL to ameliorate hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in HFD-fed rats. It prevented hepatic lipid accumulation and exerted an inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase and lipase.

Groundwater Autochthonous Microbial Communities as Tracers of Anthropogenic Pressure Impacts: Example from a Municipal Waste Treatment Plant (Latium, Italy)

The groundwater behavior at a municipal solid waste disposal dump, located in Central Italy, was studied using a multi-parameter monitoring over 1 year consisting of 4 seasonal samples. The hydrological and hydrogeological dynamics of water circulation, microbiological parameters (microbial abundance and cell viability of the autochthonous microbial community), dissolved organic carbon, and several contaminants were evaluated and related to the geological structures in both two and three dimensions and used for geostatistical analysis in order to obtain 3D maps. Close relationships between geological heterogeneity, water circulation, pollutant diffusion, dissolved organic carbon, and cell viability were revealed. The highest cell viability values were found with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) values ≤0.5 mg/L; above this value, DOC negatively affected the microbial community. The highest DOC values were detected in groundwater at some sampling points within the site indicating its probable origin from the waste disposal dump. Although legislation limits for the parameters measured were not exceeded (except for a contaminant in one piezometer), the 1-year multi-parameter monitoring approach made it possible to depict both the dynamics and the complexity of the groundwater flux and, with “non-legislative parameters” such as microbial cell viability and DOC, identify the points with the highest vulnerability and their origin. This approach is useful for identifying the most vulnerable sites in a groundwater body.

Organic Analysis of Environmental Samples Using Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array and Fluorescence Detectors: An Overview

This overview is focused to provide an useful guide of the families of organic pollutants that can be determined by liquid chromatography operating in reverse phase and ultraviolet/fluorescence detection. Eight families have been classified as the main groups to be considered: carbonyls, carboxyls, aromatics, phenols, phthalates, isocyanates, pesticides and emerging. The references have been selected based on analytical methods used in the environmental field, including both the well-established procedures and those more recently developed.

Impact of method parameters on the performance of suspect screening for the identification of trace organic contaminants in surface waters

The performance of a suspect screening method to detect diverse small-molecule trace organic contaminants (TOCs) was systematically evaluated using a set of 39 model compounds. Experiments showed that ionization efficiency, ion transfer parameters, and chromatography could affect the detection of TOCs. As expected, compounds with low ionization yields and poorly retained compounds in chromatographic columns are more difficult to identify in the samples at environmental concentrations. Similarly, TOCs with large deviations from the average mass of the compounds screened were not transmitted efficiently in the mass spectrometer thus negatively affecting their detection. The suspect screening method was validated in terms of recovery and limits of identification of the model compounds using three different types of solid-phase extraction cartridges (reversed phase with polar groups, mixed-mode anion exchange, and mixed mode cation exchange). Experiments showed that more than two-thirds of the model compounds had recoveries >75% with each of the three cartridges, and comparison of limits of identification showed that more than one-half of the model compounds could be identified at concentrations between 6 and 100 ng L−1. However, it was observed that the amount of co-extracted compounds was higher in mixed-mode ion exchangers compared with the reversed-phase cartridge. Application of the suspect screening method using the three different cartridges to surface water samples showed that between 0 to 3% of the positive matches found by the peak identification algorithm were classified as probable structures. Solutions to improve suspect screening of TOCs are proposed and discussed.

Pharmaceuticals in freshwater aquatic environments: A comparison of the African and European challenge

Hundreds of tons of pharmaceutical compounds are annually dispensed and consumed worldwide. Pharmaceuticals are an important class of emerging environmental micropollutants: their presence in water bodies is an increasing environmental concern. The aim of this review paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in freshwater aquatic environments in the African and European context. A literature survey has been performed, resulting in 3024 data points related to environmental occurrence. The concentration levels of 71 pharmaceuticals were assessed. The top ten most frequently detected and quantified compounds in both continents were sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, diclofenac, trimethoprim, ibuprofen, naproxen, paracetamol (acetaminophen), ketoprofen, venlafaxine and clarithromycin. The maximum concentrations of 17β-estradiol, estriol, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, paracetamol, naproxen reported in African aquatic environments were ~3140, ~20,000, ~125, ~100, ~215 and ~171 times higher, respectively, than the concentrations reported in European based studies. The variation in pharmaceutical consumption, partial removal of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment processes, and the direct discharge of livestock animal farm wastewater were identified among the major reasons for the observed differences. Several pharmaceuticals were found in aquatic environments of both continents in concentration levels higher than their ecotoxicity endpoints. In Europe, compounds such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, triclosan, sulfadimidine, carbamazepine and fluoxetine were reported in a concentration higher than the available ecotoxicity endpoints. In Africa, much more compounds reached concentrations more than the ecotoxicity endpoints, including diclofenac, ibuprofen, paracetamol, naproxen, ciprofloxacin, triclosan, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine and fluoxetine, estriol and 17β-estradiol. Details for each therapeutic group are presented in this review.

Simultaneous Determination of Pharmaceuticals by Solid-phase Extraction and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry: A Case Study from Sharjah Sewage Treatment Plant

The present work describes the optimization and validation of a highly selective and sensitive analytical method using solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SPE LC-MS/MS) for the determination of some frequently prescribed pharmaceuticals in urban wastewater received and treated by Sharjah sewage treatment plant (STP). The extraction efficiency of different SPE cartridges was tested and the simultaneous extraction of pharmaceuticals was successfully accomplished using hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced reversed phase Waters^® Oasis HLB cartridge (200 mg/ 6 mL) at pH 3. The analytes were separated on an Aquity BEH C18 column (1.7 µm, 2.1 mm × 150 mm) using gradient elution and mass spectrometric analysis were performed in multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) selecting two precursor ions to produce ion transition for each pharmaceutical using positive electrospray ionization (+ESI) mode. The correlation coefficient values in the linear calibration plot for each target compound exceeded 0.99 and the recovery percentages of the investigated pharmaceuticals were more than 84%. Limit of detection (LOD) varied between 0.1–1.5 ng/L and limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.3–5 ng/L for all analytes. The precision of the method was calculated as the relative standard deviation (RSD%) of replicate measurements and was found to be in the ranges of 2.2% to 7.7% and 2.2% to 8.6% for inter and intra-day analysis, respectively. All of the obtained validation parameters satisfied the requirements and guidelines of analytical method validation.

Synthesis and application of a molecularly imprinted polymer in selective solid-phase extraction of efavirenz from water

Efavirenz is one of the antiretroviral drugs widely used to treat the human immunodeficiency virus. Antiretroviral drugs have been found to be present in surface water and wastewater. Due to complexity of environmental samples, solid-phase extraction (SPE) is used for isolation and pre-concentration of antiretroviral drugs prior to their chromatographic analysis. However, the commercially available SPE sorbents lack selectivity, which tends to prolong the analysis time. Therefore, in this study a molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized for the specific recognition of efavirenz and then applied as the SPE sorbent for its extraction from wastewater and surface water samples. The imprinted and non-imprinted polymers were synthesized using a bulk polymerization technique where efavirenz was used as the template, 2-vinylpyridine as functional monomer, 1,1'-azobis-(cyclohexanecarbonitrile) as initiator, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker and toluene:acetonitrile (9:1, v/v) as the porogenic solvent mixture. The characterization was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. Results showed better selectivity of molecularly imprinted polymer to efavirenz than did non-imprinted polymer. The analysis was performed using high performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photo-diode array detector. The analytical method gave a detection limit of 0.41 μg/L and the analyte recovery of 81% in wastewater. The concentrations found in wastewater ranged from 2.79 to 120.7 μg/L, while in surface water they were between 0.975 and 2.88 μg/L. Therefore, the results of this study show a strong need for a detailed screening of efavirenz in major water utilities in the country.

Synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer and its application in selective extraction of fenoprofen from wastewater

The presence of various classes of pharmaceutical drugs in different environmental compartments has been reported worldwide. In South Africa, the detection of pharmaceuticals especially the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is recent, and more studies are being done in order to fully understand their fate in the aquatic environment. With considerations for the need of better sample preparation techniques, this study synthesized a molecularly imprinted polymer for the selective extraction of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, fenoprofen in aqueous environmental samples. Batch adsorption studies showed that adsorption of fenoprofen onto the cavities of the polymer followed a Langmuir isotherm as well as a pseudo second order model implying formation of a monolayer on the surface through chemisorption. The polymer had a maximum adsorption capacity of 38.8 mg g^-1 and a Langmuir surface area of 1607 m² g^-1. The imprinted polymer was then used as the selective sorbent for solid phase extraction in the analysis of fenoprofen from wastewater followed by chromatographic determination. The analytical method gave a detection limit of 0.64 ng mL^-1 and recovery of 99.6%. The concentration of fenoprofen detected in influent and effluent samples from two wastewater treatment plants ranged from 24 to 58 ng mL^-1. The ability of the treatment plants to remove fenoprofen during wastewater processing based on the difference in concentrations in influent and effluent samples was found to be 41%. This work has shown that there is a possibility of release of fenoprofen from wastewater treatment plants into surface water sources.

A novel approach to the application of hexagonal mesoporous silica in solid-phase extraction of drugs

Mesoporous silica with hexagonal type structure containing amine functional group was introduced. Firstly, aminopropyl hexagonal mesoporous silica was synthetized in a co-condensation process, via templating route of n-dodecylamine. Then synthesized mesoporous material were characterized, and FT-IR spectrum confirmed the presence of amine group and CHN analysis determined the amount of organic layer. The high surface area (750 m²/g) was determined by applying nitrogen adsorption-desorption technique. The morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy which proved hexagonal structure. The crystallinity of mesoporous material was observed in XRD pattern of this material. According to previous background of such material in adsorbing drug, herein, the efficiency of this material in adsorbing of 5-fluorouracil was evaluated through solid phase extraction method in aqueous and plasma media with high performance liquid chromatography. The extraction efficiency was evaluated for drug concentrations of 500-2000 ng/ml by means of 5-20 mg/ml hexagonal mesoporous silica in both media. The results showed good to excellent recovery rate of in both aqueous and plasma medium which confirmed that the aminopropyl functionalized hexagonal mesoporous silica could be considered as promising device for drug bioanalysis.

Assessment of Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products, and Hormones in Wastewater Treatment Plants Receiving Inflows from Health Facilities in North West Province, South Africa

The presence of 17 pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) belonging to various therapeutic categories was investigated in two hospital wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in North West Province, South Africa. The compounds were extracted from wastewater samples by solid-phase extraction and analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that ofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and bezafibrate were generally below the limit of quantification (LOQ) in the analysed samples. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen were the dominant pharmaceuticals in the influent streams with corresponding concentrations ranging from 21 to 119 μg/L and 0.3 to 63 μg/L, respectively. Both WWTPs were shown to have the capability to remove some of the target PPCPs, including acetaminophen (76-98%), tetracycline (15-93%), ibuprofen (44-99%), and triclocarban (13-98%). The monitoring of the target PPCPs in both influent and effluent samples of the investigated WWTPs revealed that the discharge of inadequately treated effluents could be contributing to the possible increase in the concentrations of these contaminants in the receiving environmental compartments. Further studies must be focused on the broader characterisation of these matrices in order to assess the potential ecological impacts of this waste disposal practice.

Optical Detection of Ketoprofen by Its Electropolymerization on an Indium Tin Oxide-Coated Optical Fiber Probe

In this work an application of optical fiber sensors for real-time optical monitoring of electrochemical deposition of ketoprofen during its anodic oxidation is discussed. The sensors were fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide (ITO) on a 2.5 cm-long core of polymer-clad silica fibers. ITO tuned in optical properties and thickness allows for achieving a lossy-mode resonance (LMR) phenomenon and it can be simultaneously applied as an electrode in an electrochemical setup. The ITO-LMR electrode allows for optical monitoring of changes occurring at the electrode during electrochemical processing. The studies have shown that the ITO-LMR sensor’s spectral response strongly depends on electrochemical modification of its surface by ketoprofen. The effect can be applied for real-time detection of ketoprofen. The obtained sensitivities reached over 1400 nm/M (nm·mg⁻¹·L) and 16,400 a.u./M (a.u.·mg⁻¹·L) for resonance wavelength and transmission shifts, respectively. The proposed method is a valuable alternative for the analysis of ketoprofen within the concentration range of 0.25–250 μg mL⁻¹, and allows for its determination at therapeutic and toxic levels. The proposed novel sensing approach provides a promising strategy for both optical and electrochemical detection of electrochemical modifications of ITO or its surface by various compounds.

Dynamics and sources of pharmaceutically active compounds in a coastal Mediterranean river during heavy rains

Concentrations of pharmaceutically active compounds (PACs) in freshwater systems depend on numerous factors such as land use and hydrometeorological conditions. In the Mediterranean, heavy rain events are of particular importance as they highly influence the concentration of micropollutants found in freshwater and are a source of recurrent first foul flushes due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In this study, we seek to assess the dynamics of pharmaceuticals during storm events in coastal Mediterranean rivers at a fine scale and to determine their contribution to multicontamination phenomena owing to CSOs. Our results showed that, while dissolved PACs followed the same trend as other contaminants, i.e., they increased significantly during CSOs, PACs in the total fraction did not peak yet maintained their already high concentrations for slightly longer due to their release via CSOs. Pharmaceutical concentrations for both the dissolved and the total fraction were dramatically diluted during the peak river flow. A fine-scale follow-up of PACs dynamics in the total fraction, including the differentiation of sewer overflows from both the right and left river banks, as well as the analyses of a large amount of PACs molecules, allowed us to clearly identify their major sources. While domestic inputs were dominated by nicotine and caffeine, the use of gadolinium (an MRI contrast agent) as a marker, attributed the main source of medical drugs such as tramadol, ibuprofen, and diclofenac to the major public hospital of the region. Thus, identifying major sources of PACs and implementing adapted water treatments directly at those sources would be the most cost-efficient alternative to cope with pharmaceutical drugs in coastal Mediterranean aquatic environments. Moreover, PACs behavior differed depending on the molecules considered and the source of these molecules, but we could not establish a direct link between their behavior and their chemical or physical properties. Our study highlights the importance of monitoring at strategic locations and with a high frequency sampling in order to better understand fate, sources, and behavior of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments.

Targeted eco-pharmacovigilance for ketoprofen in the environment: Need, strategy and challenge

Implementing "targeted" eco-pharmacovigilance(EPV) which focuses on individual or specific pharmaceuticals on a prioritised basis is a feasible, economical and customized approach to reduce the environmental concentrations and risks of pharmaceuticals. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) remaining in environment are a kind of priority hazard substances, due to a notable case that diclofenac residues caused the loss of more than 99% of vultures across the Indian sub-continent. Ketoprofen, as another widely used NSAID with comparable or even higher global consumption than diclofenac, in the environment has been shown to present a potential risk to non-target terrestrial and aquatic species. Based on the review of 85 articles reporting the analyses of ketoprofen residues in environment since 2010, we found that this NSAID frequently present in various environmental compartments around the world. Therefore, it is urgent to implement EPV targeting ketoprofen pollution. Here, we provide some recommendations for implementing the targeted EPV for ketoprofen, including: Closely monitoring ketoprofen in the natural environment; Reducing the residues of ketoprofen through source control; Encouraging urine source separation and treatment; Limiting the application of veterinary ketoprofen; Designing and constituting a framework system of targeted EPV. But some challenges, such as ambiguity in the accountability of the main bodies responsible for continued monitoring of ketoprofen residues, the lack of optimized urine source separation scenarios and procedure, the need for detailed design and application schemes of the framework system of targeted EPV, etc. should be addressed.

Removal of emerging pharmaceutical contaminants by adsorption in a fixed-bed column: A review

Pharmaceutical pollutants substantially affect the environment; thus, their treatments have been the focus of many studies. In this article, the fixed-bed adsorption of pharmaceuticals on various adsorbents was reviewed. The experimental breakthrough curves of these pollutants under various flow rates, inlet concentrations, and bed heights were examined. Fixed-bed data in terms of saturation uptakes, breakthrough time, and the length of the mass transfer zone were included. The three most popular breakthrough models, namely, Adams-Bohart, Thomas, and Yoon-Nelson, were also reviewed for the correlation of breakthrough curve data along with the evaluation of model parameters. Compared with the Adams-Bohart model, the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson more effectively predicted the breakthrough data for the studied pollutants.