A one-year follow-up analysis of antidepressants in Portuguese wastewaters: Occurrence and fate, seasonal influence, and risk assessment

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 490; pp. 279 - 287
• Main Authors: Silva, Liliana J.G., Pereira, André M.P.T., Meisel, Leonor M., Lino, Celeste M., Pena, Angelina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.08.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Antidepressive Agents - analysis; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical phenomena; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental contaminants; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental risk; Exact sciences and technology; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Municipal wastewaters; Natural water pollution; Occurrence and fate; Pollution; Portugal; Risk Assessment; Seasonal influence; Seasons; Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors; Waste Disposal, Fluid - statistics & numerical data; Waste Water - chemistry; Waste Water - statistics & numerical data; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Southern Europe; Portugal; Europe; Portugal, Algarve; Portugal, Alentejo; Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors; Municipal wastewaters; Seasonal influence; Environmental contaminants; Occurrence and fate; Environmental risk; Psychotropic; Cladocera; Waste water; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; Crustacea; Aquatic environment; Pollution; Seasonal variation; Risk assessment; Pisces; Daphnia; Antidepressant agent; Urban waste water; Branchiopoda; Drug; Ecotoxicology; Algae; Risk analysis; Vertebrata; Arthropoda; Emerging pollutant; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.131

The occurrence, fate, seasonal influence and environmental risk assessment of four selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants, citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline, were studied in 15 different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across Portugal. Influent and effluent samples from four sampling campaigns, in 2013, were extracted through Oasis HLB cartridges, and quantified through liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSn).Results showed that citalopram was the SSRI most frequently found, both in influents and in effluents, with mean mass loads ranging between 14.56 and 9.51mg/day/1000 inhabitants, respectively. Fluoxetine and sertraline were only detected in influent samples, in lower mean mass loads (14.60 and 1.36mg/day/1000 inhab., respectively), whereas paroxetine was found in influent and effluent samples (12.61 and 18.90mg/day/1000 inhab., respectively). WWTPs were not capable of completely removing these pharmaceuticals; nonetheless, the mean removal efficiency was 82.24%. Removal efficiency was lower in winter (74.21%), summer (72.02%), and autumn (81.19%), when compared to spring (100%). Our results translate the variations in SSRI prescription and use between the five Portuguese regions in study. Influent contaminated samples were found in WWTPs from Lisbon, Alentejo, Center and North (28.25, 19.01, 16.55 and 6.98mg/day/1000 inhab., respectively). In the Algarve region no contaminated samples were found. A seasonal pattern in the presence of SSRIs in influent wastewaters was observed. The SSRIs mass loads in influent wastewaters were higher in autumn, followed by spring, winter, and summer. Finally, the potential ecotoxicological risk posed by SSRIs to different trophic levels of aquatic organisms, exposed to the effluent wastewaters studied was evaluated by means of risk quotients (RQ). Citalopram and paroxetine, the only SSRIs found in these samples, presented RQ lower than 1. According to the results, algae appeared to be the most sensitive followed by fish and daphnids. •From the SSRIs studied in Portuguese WWTPs citalopram showed higher frequency/levels.•Results translate the SSRIs prescription and use between the 5 regions in study.•Seasonal variations in terms of occurrence and removal efficiencies were observed.•Most of selected compounds in influents were degraded during the treatment.•RQs were lower than 1. The species sensitivity was as following algae; fish; daphnids.