TOXICITY OF HUMAN PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS TO BENTHIC INVERTEBRATES
Despite concerns about potential risks associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment, few toxicological data address the effects of these compounds. In aquatic systems, which often represent the final repository for PPCPs, increasing toxicologi...
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Published in | Environmental toxicology and chemistry Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 425 - 432 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Hoboken
Wiley Periodicals, Inc
01.02.2008
Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Despite concerns about potential risks associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment, few toxicological data address the effects of these compounds. In aquatic systems, which often represent the final repository for PPCPs, increasing toxicological information regarding aquatic biota is improving our capacity to assess potential risks. However, responses of key biota, such as benthic invertebrates, have not been investigated as widely. In the present study, we examined the toxicity of four PPCPs--the lipid regulator atorvastatin (ATO), the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ), the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and the antimicrobial triclosan (TCS)--to the midge Chironomus tentans and the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca in 10-d waterborne exposures. The toxicity of the four compounds varied between 0.20 and 47.3 mg/L (median lethal concentration), with a relative toxicity ranking of TCS > EE2 > ATO > CBZ. Hyalella azteca was more sensitive than C. tentans to these compounds. The toxicity data were used in a hazard quotient approach to evaluate the risk posed by the four PPCPs to benthic invertebrates and other aquatic organisms. For each compound, a hazard quotient was calculated by dividing the lowest toxicity value by the highest exposure value found in the literature, to which an uncertainty factor was applied. With hazard quotients of 3.55 to 11.5, we conclude that potential risks exist toward benthic invertebrates for the toxicity of TCS and CBZ and that further investigations of these compounds are required to characterize more completely the risks to benthic organisms. In contrast, our data also indicate that considering the low concentrations currently detected in the environment, ATO and EE2 pose negligible risks to benthic invertebrates. |
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Bibliography: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1897/07-354R.1 istex:4CCE3B4A9734D4DD3A5A39A2CD1ADB6CE60516E3 ArticleID:ETC5620270223 ark:/67375/WNG-4024L1NX-8 ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 |
ISSN: | 0730-7268 1552-8618 |
DOI: | 10.1897/07-354R.1 |