Concentration and risk of pharmaceuticals in freshwater systems are related to the population density and the livestock units in Iberian Rivers

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.143
• Publication Date: 2015-07-11T05:20:52Z
• Authors: Victoria Osorio; Aitor Larrañaga; Jaume Aceña; Sandra Pérez; Damià Barceló
• Keywords: Ecotoxicity

Considerable amounts of pharmaceuticals are used in human and veterinary medicine, which not efficiently removed during wastewater slurries treatment subsequently entering continuously into freshwater systems. The intrinsic biological activity these non-regulated pollutants turns their presence the aquatic environment an ecological matter concern. We present first quantitative study relating predicted ecotoxicological effects with population livestock units. Four representative Iberian River basins (Spain) were studied: Llobregat, Ebro, Júcar Guadalquivir. levels determined surface water sediment samples collected from 77 locations along stream networks. Predicted total toxic units to algae, Daphnia fish estimated for detected waters. use chemometrics enabled for: spatial distribution rivers two consecutive years; potential risk organisms; relationships among occurrence ecotoxicity animal farming pressure. Llobregat Ebro characterized as most polluted at highest risk, followed by No significant acute risks organisms observed. However chronic on algae could be expected hot spots pollution identified basins. Analgesics/antiinflammatories, antibiotics diuretics relevant therapeutic groups across four river Among them, hydrochlorothiazide gemfibrozil, well azithromycin ibuprofen widely spread concentrated waters sediments, respectively. Regarding ecotoxicity, sertraline, gemfibrozil loratidine more concerning compounds. Significantly positive found density both matrices.