Updated knowledge, partitioning and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in global aquatic environments.

Over the last few decades, the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments has generated increasing public concern. In this review, data on the presence of PPCPs in environmental compartments from the past few years (2014-2022) are summarized by carrying out a critical survey of the partitioning among water, sediment, and aquatic organisms. From the available articles on PPCP occurrence in the environment, in Web of Science and Scopus databases, 185 articles were evaluated. Diclofenac, carbamazepine, caffeine, ibuprofen, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole were reported to occur in 85% of the studies in at least one of the mentioned matrices. Risk assessment showed a moderate to high environmental risk for these compounds worldwide. Moreover, bioconcentration factors showed that sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, while ciprofloxacin and triclosan present bioaccumulation potential. Regarding spatial distribution, the Asian and European continents presented most studies on the occurrence and effects of PPCPs on the environment, while Africa and Asia are the most contaminated continents. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 on environmental contamination by PPCPs is discussed.

Vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion: An eco-friendly alternative for the determination of halogens in edible seaweed.

Edible seaweed has been widely consumed around the world through oriental cuisine and it is important to monitor the levels of some elements, especially halogens. This study proposes, for the first time, the development of an analytical method using the vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (VA-MSPD) combined with alkaline extraction of halogens (F, Cl, Br, and I) in edible seaweed for further determination by ion chromatography. The proposed method was evaluated using edible seaweed of the Nori (Porphyra spp.) type and applied to samples of the Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), Kombu (Laminaria ochroleuca), and Hijiki (Hizikia fusiformis) types. Important VA-MSPD parameters were investigated and using 0.1 g sample, 1 g sea sand as solid support, 50 mmol L-1 (NH4)2CO3 as extraction solution, and 5 min of maceration, higher extraction efficiencies were obtained. The method was linear within the evaluated range (R2 > 0.99) for all elements and no matrix effect was observed. The detection limits of the method were 27, 26, 19, and 28 µg g-1 for F, Cl, Br, and I, respectively. The accuracy was evaluated by a recovery test (ranging from 92 to 108%) and analysis of certified reference materials for apple leaves (NIST 1515) and peach leaves (NIST 1547), which had a good agreement (ranging from 97 to 101%) with the certified values. Comparing the results with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after microwave-induced combustion, no significant difference was found between the results, and the relative standard deviations were lower than 12%. The proposed method proved to be efficient for the determination of halogens in different algae species, showing advantages such as simplicity and low cost, combined to the use of a material from renewable sources (sea sand) as a solid support, contributing to the principles of Green Analytical Chemistry.

Emerging contaminants in Brazilian aquatic environment: identifying targets of potential concern based on occurrence and ecological risk.

Although studies have shown the presence of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in the Brazilian environment in recent decades, several biological effects on the aquatic ecosystem are unknown. Brazil is the fifth largest country in extension in the world, and its wide territory presents geographic regions with diverse demographic and economic characteristics. In order to identify targets of potential concern based on occurrence and ecological risk, available data from previous studies were examined to conduct environmental risk analysis and provide a ranking of CECs in Brazilian aquatic environment based on environmental concentration measured in the last 10 years. The results indicate that 17α-ethynylestradiol, 17ß-estradiol, acetaminophen, Bisphenol A, caffeine, diclofenac, ibuprofen, methylparaben, sulfamethoxazole and triclosan are the CECs that represent the greatest threats to the Brazilian environment. Therefore, these contaminants should be considered as a priority in future monitoring studies. Besides, identification of target monitoring compounds can facilitate the selection of pollutant candidates in future legislations.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a Brazilian wetland of international importance: Occurrence and environmental risk assessment.

Despite the fact that the occurrence of emerging contaminants in the environment has become frequent in recent decades, the seasonal dynamics of contaminants in different environmental compartments are little studied in protected areas influenced by effluent discharges. In this study, the seasonal and spatial occurrence of 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) was investigated in surface waters and sediments from Anil and Bacanga rivers (northeast of Brazil). The studied area is located within a Wetland of International Importance by Ramsar Convention (Amazon Estuary and its Mangroves). Sample preparation was carried out using solid-phase extraction and QuEChERS, for water and sediment samples, respectively and all determinations were performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Eleven PPCPs were detected in water samples and 14 in sediments. In aqueous samples, caffeine was the most occurring compound reaching 13,798 ng L-1. In addition, high levels of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine and diclofenac were also observed. In the sediment samples, triclocarban, benzophenone-3, ketoconazole and methylparaben were also detected. The spatial and temporal distribution of the assessed molecules indicates urbanization and anthropic activities as relevant sources of PPCPs in the region. Moreover, the levels of acetaminophen, caffeine, diclofenac, ibuprofen, benzophenone-3, triclosan and triclocarban measured within the Ramsar site pose a high risk to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. These findings indicate potential threats to the allegedly protected biodiversity and, therefore, urgent actions are needed to effectively protect this unique and vulnerable area.