Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in marine sediments in the Todos os Santos Bay and the north coast of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

  • PROGRESS IN EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The Todos os Santos Bay is the largest bay in Brazil and receives drainage from various watersheds. For more than 450 years, it was the main destination for the domestic and hospital sewage from the city of Salvador, Bahia. With the growing concern regarding the presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment, an investigation was undertaken to determine the presence and levels of some commonly used drugs (i.e., atenolol, caffeine, carbamazepine, diazepam, diclofenac, erythromycin, ibuprofen) and personal care products (i.e., galaxolide, tonalide), using sediments as an indicator of their presence in the water column.

Material and methods

Surficial sediment samples from 17 stations located in the intertidal zone of the Todos os Santos Bay and infralittoral zone along the north coast of Salvador were tested for the presence of some PPCPs using LC-MS/MS (for drugs) and GC-MS/MS (for fragrances).

Results and discussion

The PPCPs examined were present in all sediment samples at levels of parts per billion of dry sediment. The highest concentrations were found for the fragrances galaxolide (52.5 ng g−1) and tonalide (27.9 ng g−1), followed by caffeine (23.4 ng g−1) and pharmaceuticals ibuprofen (14.3 ng g−1), atenolol (9.84 ng g−1), carbamazepine (4.81 ng g−1), erythromycin (2.29 ng g−1), diclofenac (1.06 ng g−1), and diazepam (0.71 ng g−1).

Conclusions

Pharmaceuticals were found to be ubiquitous in the sediments of the study areas. The texture of the sediment was an important factor in PPCPs fixation and deposition. The concentrations of all PPCPs had statistically significant positive correlations with the percentage of clay in the sediments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barceló D, Ayora C, Carrera J, Castaño S, Folch M, Calvo E, Alday J, Guasch H, Jofre J, Lema J, Alda M, Lucena F, Amich R, Muñoz I, Nieto J, Omil F, Ortiz I, Romaní A, Sabater S, Salgot M, Vila X, Sanz D, Suárez S, Torrens A (2008) Aguas continentales—Gestión de recursos hídricos, tratamiento y calidad del agua. Informes do Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Borja P, Moraes L (2012) Programa de saneamento ambiental da Bahia, Bahia Azul: características, resultados e análise crítica. In: Barreto M (ed) Avaliação epidemiológica do impacto das ações do Programa Bahia Azul. Fiocruz, Salvador

    Google Scholar 

  • Conkle JL, Gan J, Anderson MA (2012) Degradation and sorption of commonly detected PPCPs in wetland sediments under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. J Soils Sediments 12:1164–1173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daughton CG, Ternes TA (1999) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: agents of subtle change? Environ Health Perspect 107(suppl 6):907–938

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Di Guardo A, Calamari D, Benfenati E, Halling-Sorensen B, Zuccato E, Fanelli R (2004) Pharmaceuticals as environmental contaminants: modeling distribution and fate. In: Kümmerer K (ed) Pharmaceuticals in the environment: sources, fate, effects and risks, 2nd edn. Springer, Freiburg, pp 185–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis J (2006) Pharmaceutical and personal care products in urban receiving waters. Environ Pollut 1:184–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EEA – European Environmental Agency (2010) Pharmaceuticals in the environment: results of an EEA workshop held in Copenhagen, Jan 2009. Publication of the European Communities, Luxembourg

    Google Scholar 

  • EMBRAPA (1997) Manual de métodos de análise do solo. EMBRAPA, Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA (1997) Special report on environmental endocrine disruption: an effects assessment and analysis. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Report EPA/630/R-96/012, USEPA, Washington DC, USA

  • EPA (2011) PPCP Research areas http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/work2.html. Accessed 15 Jan 2013

  • Fent K, Weston A, Caminada D (2006) Ecotoxicology of human pharmaceuticals. Aquat Toxicol 76:122–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fromme H, Uchler T, Otto T, Pilz K, Müller J, Wenzel A (2002) Occurrence of phthalates and bisphenol A and F in the environment. Water Res 36:1429–1438

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghiselli G (2006) Avaliação das águas destinadas ao abastecimento público na região de Campinas: Ocorrência e determinação dos interferentes endócrinos (IE) e produtos farmacêuticos e de higiene pessoal (PFHP). Unpublished dissertation, Universidade de Campinas, Brazil

  • Gros M, Pizzolato T, Petrovi M, Alda M, Barceló D (2008) Trace level determination of beta-blockers in waste waters by highly selective molecularly imprinted polymers extraction followed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1189:374–384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartig C, Storm T, Jekel M (1999) Detection and identification of sulphonamide drugs in municipal waste water by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 854:163–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heberer T (2002) Occurrence, fate, and removal of pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment: a review of recent research data. Toxicol Lett 131:5–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch R, Ternes T, Haberer K, Kratz K (1999) Occurrence of antibiotics in the aquatic environment. Sci Total Environ 225:109–118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huggett D, Brooks B, Peterson B, Foran C, Schlenk D (2002) Toxicity of select beta adrenergic receptor-blocking pharmaceuticals on aquatic organisms. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 43:229–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kulshrestha P, Giese R, Aga D (2004) Investigating the molecular interactions of oxytetracycline in clay and organic matter: insights on factors affecting its mobility in soil. Environ Sci Technol 38:4097–4105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kümmerer K (2004) Pharmaceuticals in the environment: sources, fate, effects and risks. Springer, Freiburg

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mulroy A (2001) When the cure is the problem. Water Environ Technol 13:32–36

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nash J, Kime D, Van Der Ven L, Wester P, Brion F, Maack G, Stahlschmidt-Allner P, Tyler C (2004) Long-term exposure to environmental concentrations of the pharmaceutical ethynylestradiol causes reproductive failure in fish. Environ Health Perspect 112(17):1725–1733

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pan B, Xing B (2011) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in soils and sediments. In: Xing B, Senesi N, Huang P (eds) Biophysico-chemical processes of anthropogenic organic compounds in environmental systems. Wiley, Massachusetts, pp 185–213

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pan B, Ning P, Xing B (2009) Humic substances. Review series. Part V—sorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Environ Sci Pollut Res 16:106–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pawlowski S, Van Aerle R, Tyler C, Braunbeck T (2004) Effects of 17a-ethinylestradiol in a fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) gonadal recrudescence assay. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 57:330–345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peters R, Courtenay S, Cagampan S, Hewitt M, Maclatchy D (2007) Effects on reproductive potential and endocrine status in the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) after exposure to 17alpha-ethynylestradiol in a short-term reproductive bioassay. Aquat Toxicol 85:154–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pletsch A, Beretta M, Tavares T (2010) Distribuição espacial de compostos orgânicos de estanho em sedimentos costeiros e em Phallusia nigra da Baía de Todos os Santos e litoral norte da Bahia—Brasil. Quim Nova 33(2):451–457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salomons W, Stigliani WM (1995) Biogeodynamics of pollutants in soils and sediments. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson H, Brain R, Johnson D, Wilson C, Solomon K (2004) Toxicity classification and evaluation of four pharmaceuticals classes: antibiotics, antieoplastics, cardiovascular, and sex hormones. Toxicology 203(1):27–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SESAB - Secretaria da Saúde do Estado da Bahia (2009) Assistência farmacêutica na atenção básica. Planilha de consumos médios mensais de medicamentos de março de 2009 à agosto de 2009. SESAB, Salvador, Brazil

  • Souza E (1978) Administração de medicamentos e preparo de soluções. Cultura Médica, Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • Stumpf M, Ternes T, Wilken R, Rodrigues S, Baumann W (1999) Polar drug residues in sewage and natural waters in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sci Total Environ 225:135–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ternes T (1998) Occurrence of drugs in German sewage treatment plants and rivers. Water Res 11:3245–3260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ternes T, Andersen H, Gilberg D, Bonerz M (2002a) Determination of estrogens in sludge and sediments by liquid extraction and GC/MS/MS. Anal Chem 74:3498–3504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ternes T, Meisenheimer M, Mcdowell D, Sacher F, Brauch H, Gulde B, Preuss G, Wilme U, Seibert N (2002b) Removal of pharmaceuticals during drinking water treatment. Environ Sci Technol 36:3855–3863

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO/UNEP/ILO (2004) Report of the joint IPCS—Japan workshop on endocrine disruptors: research needs and future directions. Tokyo, Japan. Available on http://ec.europa.eu/research/endocrine/pdf/japan_workshop_en.pdf. Accessed 22 Jan 2013

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola Politécnica, Universidade Federal da Bahia, UFBA, Rua Aristides Novis, 2, Federação, 40210-630, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Magda Beretta & Vicky Britto

  2. Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Geremoabo, 147, Campus de Ondina, 40170-115, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Tania Mascarenhas Tavares & Sonilda Maria Teixeira da Silva

  3. Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Avenida Brasil, 4232, Câmpus Medianeira, 85884-000, Medianeira, Paraná, Brazil

    Adelmo Lowe Pletsch

Authors
  1. Magda Beretta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vicky Britto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tania Mascarenhas Tavares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sonilda Maria Teixeira da Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Adelmo Lowe Pletsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tania Mascarenhas Tavares.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Jorge Enoch Furquim Werneck Lima

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beretta, M., Britto, V., Tavares, T.M. et al. Occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in marine sediments in the Todos os Santos Bay and the north coast of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. J Soils Sediments 14, 1278–1286 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0884-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0884-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation