Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a mesoscale subtropical watershed and their application as sewage markers

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 280; pp. 696 - 705
• Main Authors: Lv, Min, Sun, Qian, Hu, Anyi, Hou, Liyuan, Li, Jiangwei, Cai, Xiang, Yu, Chang-Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.09.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and physicochemical phenomena; China; Continental surface waters; Cosmetics - analysis; Estuaries; Estuary; Exact sciences and technology; General purification processes; Jiulong River; Natural water pollution; Pharmaceutical Preparations - analysis; Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs); Pollution; Rivers - chemistry; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Sewage - analysis; Sewage marker; Wastewaters; Water Pollution - analysis; Water Quality; Water treatment and pollution; China; Seasonal variations; Jiulong River; Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs); Estuary; Sewage marker; Cosmetic; Drug; Estuaries; Endocrine disruptor; Marker; Waste water; Bisphenol A; Ultraviolet radiation; Mesoscale; Plasticizer; Seasonal variation; Watershed; Surface water; Stream; Water pollution; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.08.054

•Occurrence of 51 PPCPs in a river and its estuary system was studied over a year.•Seasonal and spatial variations of PPCPs were significant.•Correlations among PPCPs or between PPCP and environmental parameter were observed.•Combination of sewage markers was shown applicable in sewage source tracking. This study comprehensively analyzed 23 classes of 51 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the two major prongs of Jiulong River and its estuary in southeast China, where the levels of the targeted PPCPs were mostly unknown. For both Jiulong River and its estuary, nine PPCPs were detected with 100% detection frequencies including two anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs (ketoprofen and diclofenac acid), a stimulant (caffeine), a plasticizer (bisphenol A), two preservatives (methyl paraben and propyl paraben), two antimicrobials (triclosan and triclocarban) and a β-blocks (metoprolol), among which bisphenol A and caffeine accounted for more than 60% in concentrations. PPCPs generally had higher concentrations in dry season than normal season and wet season, while certain PPCPs, such as UV filters, showed higher concentrations in wet season, which were presumed to be related to their usage patterns. The concentrations of PPCPs were significantly correlated to several quality parameters of the surface water. The selected sewage markers were also used to track sewage in the studied river and the ratios of easily removed markers and conservative markers were used to identify the contribution of raw or treated sewage input. From our result, Jiulong River and its estuary were likely polluted by potential discharge of raw sewage.