Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Monitoring pharmaceuticals and personal care products in reservoir water used for drinking water supply

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this work, the presence of selected emerging contaminants has been investigated in two reservoirs, La Fe (LF) and Rio Grande (RG), which supply water to two drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) of Medellin, one of the most populated cities of Colombia. An analytical method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) of the sample followed by measurement by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was developed and validated for this purpose. Five monitoring campaigns were performed in each reservoir, collecting samples from 7 sites (LF) and 10 sites (RG) at 3 different depths of the water column. In addition, water samples entering in the DWTPs and treated water samples from these plans were also analysed for the selected compounds. Data from this work showed that parabens, UV filters and the pharmaceutical ibuprofen were commonly present in most of the reservoir samples. Thus, methyl paraben was detected in around 90% of the samples collected, while ibuprofen was found in around 60% of the samples. Water samples feeding the DWTPs also contained these two compounds, as well as benzophenone at low concentrations, which was in general agreement with the results from the reservoir samples. After treatment in the DWTPs, these three compounds were still present in the samples although at low concentrations (<40 ng/L), which evidenced that they were not completely removed after the conventional treatment applied. The potential effects of the presence of these compounds at the ppt levels in drinking water are still unknown. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of chronic exposure to these compounds via consumption of drinking water.

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
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alidina M, Hoppe-Jones C, Yoon M, Hamadeh AF, Li D, Drewes JE (2014) The occurrence of emerging trace organic chemicals in wastewater effluents in Saudi Arabia. Sci Total Environ 478:152–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez D a, Maruya K a, Dodder NG, Lao W, Furlong ET, Smalling KL (2014) Occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern along the California coast (2009-10) using passive sampling devices. Mar Pollut Bull 81:347–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anumol T, Snyder SA (2015) Rapid analysis of trace organic compounds in water by automated online solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 132:77–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bade R, Rousis NI, Bijlsma L, Gracia-Lor E, Castiglioni S, Sancho JV, Hernandez F (2015) Screening of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in wastewater and surface waters of Spain and Italy by high resolution mass spectrometry using UHPLC-QTOF MS and LC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS. Anal Bional Chem 407:8979–8988

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barceló D, Petrovic M (2007) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment. Anal Bioanal Chem 387:1141–1142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bialk-Bielinska A, Kumirska J, Borecka M, Caban M, Paszkiewicz M, Pazdro K, Stepnowski P (2016) Selected analytical challenges in the determination of pharmaceuticals in drinking/marine waters and soil/sediment samples. J Pharm Biomed Anal 121:271–296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco E, Casais MC, Mejuto MC, Cela R (2009) Combination of off-line solid-phase extraction and on-column sample stacking for sensitive determination of parabens and p-hydroxybenzoic acid in waters by non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis. Anal Chim Acta 647:104–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boix C, Ibáñez M, Bagnati R, Zuccato E, Sancho JV, Hernández F, Castiglioni S (2016) High resolution mass spectrometry to investigate omeprazole and venlafaxine metabolites in wastewater. J Hazard Mater 302:332–340

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd GR, Reemtsma H, Grimm DA, Mitra S (2003) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface and treated waters of Louisiana, USA and Ontario. Canada Sci Total Env 311:135–149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown LC, Berthouex PM (2002) Statistics for environmental engineers. Limit of detection, 2nd edn. CRC Press, pp 512

  • Cai M-Q, Wang R, Feng L, Zhang L-Q (2014) Determination of selected pharmaceuticals in tap water and drinking water treatment plant by high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in Beijing, China. Env. Sci. Pollut Res 22:1854–1867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmona E, Vicente A, Picó Y (2014) Occurrence of acidic pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Turia River Basin: from waste to drinking water. Sci Total Env 484:53–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Casas Ferreira AM, Möder M, Fernández Laespada ME (2011) GC-MS determination of parabens, triclosan and methyl triclosan in water by in situ derivatisation and stir-bar sorptive extraction. Anal Bional Chem 399:945–953

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dai G, Wang B, Huang J, Dong R, Deng S, Yu G (2015) Occurrence and source apportionment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the Beiyun River of Beijing, China. Chemosphere 119:1033–1039

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daughton C, Ternes T (1999) Special report: pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: agents of subtle change? Env Heal Perspec 107:907–938

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daughton CG (2004) Non-regulated water contaminants: emerging research. Env Impact Asses 24:711–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Jesus Gaffney V, Almeida CMM, Rodrigues A, Ferreira E, Benoliel MJ, Cardoso VV (2014) Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in a water supply system and related human health risk assessment. Water Res 2:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Esteban S, Gorga M, Petrovic M, González-Alonso S, Barceló D, Valcárcel Y (2014) Analysis and occurrence of endocrine-disrupting compounds and estrogenic activity in the surface waters of Central Spain. Sci Total Env 466–467:939–951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Union (1998) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. Off J Eur Communities L330:32–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Farré M l, Pérez S, Kantiani L, Barceló D (2008) Fate and toxicity of emerging pollutants, their metabolites and transformation products in the aquatic environment. TrAC 27:991–1007

    Google Scholar 

  • Fatta-Kassinos D, Bester K, Kümmerer K (eds) (2013) Xenobiotics in the urban water cycle, mass flows, environmental processes, mitigation and treatment strategies. Environmental Pollution 16

  • Fernández C, González-Doncel M, Pro J, Carbonell G, Tarazona JV (2010) Occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds in surface waters of the Henares-Jarama-Tajo river system (Madrid, Spain) and a potential risk characterization. Sci Total Env. 408:543–551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gracia-Lor E, Martinez M, Sancho JV, Peñuela G, Hernandez F (2012a) Multi-class determination of personal care products and pharmaceuticals in environmental and wastewater samples by ultra-high performance liquid-chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 99:1011–1023

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gracia-Lor E, Sancho JV, Serrano R, Hernandez F (2012b) Occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants at the Spanish Mediterranean area of Valencia. Chemosphere 87:453–462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gros M, Petrovic M, Barcelo D (2006) Development of a multi-residue analytical methodology based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for screening and trace level determination of pharmaceuticals in surface and wastewaters. Talanta 70:678–690

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gros M, Petrovic M, Ginebreda A, Barceló D (2010) Removal of pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment and environmental risk assessment using hazard indexes. Enviroment Int 36:15–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haman C, Dauchy X, Rosin C, Munoz JF (2015) Occurrence, fate and behavior of parabens in aquatic environments: a review. Water Res 68:1–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández F, Ibáñez M, Botero-Coy A-M, Bade R, Bustos-López MC, Rincón J, Moncayo A, Bijlsma L (2015) LC-QTOF MS screening of more than 1,000 licit and illicit drugs and their metabolites in wastewater and surface waters from the area of Bogotá, Colombia. Anal Bioanal Chem 407:6405–6416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernando MD, Heath E, Petrovic M, Barceló D (2006) Trace-level determination of pharmaceutical residues by LC-MS/MS in natural and treated waters. A pilot-survey study. Anal Bioanal Chem 385:985–991

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hincapie-Upegui DA (2014) Caracterización espacio-temporal y a nivel molecular de la materia orgánica disuelta en los embalses abastecedores de agua potable de los embalses Riogrande II y La Fe—Antioquia. Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber MM, Korhonen S, Ternes TA, Von Gunten U (2005) Oxidation of pharmaceuticals during water treatment with chlorine dioxide. Water Res 39:3607–3617

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ibáñez M, Borova V, Boix C, Aalizadeh R, Bade R, Thomaidis NS, Hernández F (2016) UHPLC-QTOF MS screening of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in treated wastewater samples from Athens. J Hazard Mater. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.078

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelic A, Gros M, Ginebreda A, Cespedes-Sánchez R, Ventura F, Petrovic M, Barceló D (2011) Occurrence, partition and removal of pharmaceuticals in sewage water and sludge during wastewater treatment. Water Res 45:1165–1176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Dinsdale RM, Guwy AJ (2008) The occurrence of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors and illicit drugs in surface water in South Wales, UK. Water Res 42:3498–3518

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Choi K (2014) Occurrences, toxicities, and ecological risks of benzophenone-3, a common component of organic sunscreen products: a mini-review. Env Int 70:143–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A, Xagoraraki I (2010) Pharmaceuticals, personal care products and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in U.S. surface and finished drinking waters: a proposed ranking system. Sci Total Environ 408:5972–5989

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lacey C, McMahon G, Bones J, Barron L, Morrissey A, Tobin JM (2008) An LC–MS method for the determination of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent samples. Talanta 75:1089–1097

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindholm-Lehto PC, Ahkola HSJ, Knuutinen JS, Herve SH (2016) Widespread occurrence and seasonal variation of pharmaceuticals in surface waters and municipal wastewater treatment plants in central Finland. Env. Sci Pollut Res 23:7985–7997

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Lu G, Xie Z, Zhang Z, Li S, Yan Z (2015) Occurrence, bioaccumulation and risk assessment of lipophilic pharmaceutically active compounds in the downstream rivers of sewage treatment plants. Sci Total Env 511:54–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J-L, Wong M-H (2013) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): a review on environmental contamination in China. Env int 59:208–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loraine GA, Pettigrove ME (2006) Seasonal variations in concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in drinking water and reclaimed wastewater in southern California. Env Sci Technol 40:687–695

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez M, Peñuela GA (2013) Analysis of triclosan and 4n-nonylphenol in Colombian reservoir water by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Water Env J 27:387–395

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez Bueno MJ, Herrera S, Munaron D, Boillot C, Fenet H, Chiron S, Gómez E (2016) POCIS passive samplers as a monitoring tool for pharmaceutical residues and their transformation products in marine environment. Env. Sci Pollut Res 23:5019–5029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Zapata M (2011) Estudio de la presencia y distribución de los contaminantes emergentes Triclosán y Nonilfenol en los embalses Riogrande II, La Fe, las plantas de potabilización Manantiales, La Ayurá y su degradación a Nivel de laboratorio. Universidad de Antioquia.

  • Matamoros V, Arias CA, Nguyen LX, Salvadó V, Brix H (2012) Occurrence and behavior of emerging contaminants in surface water and a restored wetland. Chemosphere 88:1083–1089

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mendez-Arriaga F, Esplugas S, Giménez J (2010) Degradation of the emerging contaminant ibuprofen in water by photo-Fenton. Water Res 44:589–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz I, Gomez JM, Molina-Díaz A, Huijbregts MAJ, Fernandez-Alba AR, García-Calvo E (2008) Ranking potential impacts of priority and emerging pollutants in urban wastewater through life cycle impact assessment. Chemosphere 74:37–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Öllers S, Singer HP, Fässler P, Müller SR (2001) Simultaneous quantification of neutral and acidic pharmaceuticals and pesticides at the low-ng/l level in surface and waste water. J Chromatogr A 911:225–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padhye LP, Yao H, Kung’u FT, Huang CH (2014) Year-long evaluation on the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disrupting chemicals in an urban drinking water treatment plant. Water Res 51:266–276

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng X, Yu Y, Tang C, Tan J, Huang Q, Wang Z (2008) Occurrence of steroid estrogens, endocrine-disrupting phenols, and acid pharmaceutical residues in urban riverine water of the Pearl River Delta. South China Sci Total Env 397:158–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodil R, Quintana JB, Concha-Graña E, López-Mahía P, Muniategui-Lorenzo S, Prada-Rodríguez D (2012) Emerging pollutants in sewage, surface and drinking water in Galicia (NW Spain). Chemosphere 86:1040–1049

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez-Paniagua E (2015) Removal of emerging contaminants in waters by means of physico-chemical procedures. Universidad de Extremadura

  • Saravanan M, Karthika S, Malarvizhi A, Ramesh M (2011) Ecotoxicological impacts of clofibric acid and diclofenac in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings: hematological, biochemical, ionoregulatory and enzymological responses. J Hazard Mater 195:188–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheurell M, Franke S, Shah RM, Hühnerfuss H (2009) Occurrence of diclofenac and its metabolites in surface water and effluent samples from Karachi, Pakistan. Chemosphere 77:870–876

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sodré F, Locatelli MA, Jardim WF (2010) Occurrence of emerging contaminants in Brazilian drinking waters: a sewage-to-tap issue. Water Air Soil Poll 206:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun SP, Zeng X, Lemley AT (2013) Kinetics and mechanism of carbamazepine degradation by a modified Fenton-like reaction with ferric-nitrilotriacetate complexes. J Hazard Mater 252–253:155–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tran NH, Urase T, Ta TT (2014) A preliminary study on the occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds in hospital wastewater and surface water in Hanoi, Vietnam. Clean - Soil, Air, Water 42:267–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uhlmann D, Paul L, Hupfer M, Fischer R (2011) Lakes and reservoirs. In: Wilderer P (ed) Treatise on water science. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 157–213. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53199-5.00034-8

  • Vergili I (2013) Application of nanofiltration for the removal of carbamazepine, diclofenac and ibuprofen from drinking water sources. J Env Manag 127:177–187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vulliet E, Cren-Olivé C, Grenier-Loustalot MF (2011) Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and hormones in drinking water treated from surface waters. Env. Chem Lett 9:103–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Leung D, Chow W (2010) Applications of LC/ESI-MS/MS and UHPLC QqTOF MS for the determination of 148 pesticides in berries. J Agri Food Chem 58:5904–5925

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang G, Fan M, Zhang G (2014) Emerging contaminants in surface waters in China—a short review. Env Res Lett 9:74018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng E (2015) Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): analytical techniques, environmental fate and biological effects, 1st edn. Elsevier, vol. 67, p 684

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work has been developed under the financial support provided by Empresa Públicas de Medellin. The authors wish to thank Marian Martinez from the GDCON research team for their help with the analysis. Carolina Aristizábal is especially grateful with Carlos Lopez, professor of University of Antioquia, for his technical advice in the development of this work. The advices and help of Professor Felix Hernandez, from University Jaume I, is greatly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo GDCON, Facultad de Ingeniería, Sede de Investigación Universitaria (SIU), Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia

    Carolina Aristizabal-Ciro & Gustavo A. Peñuela

  2. Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, 12071, Castellón, Spain

    Ana María Botero-Coy & Francisco J. López

Authors
  1. Carolina Aristizabal-Ciro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana María Botero-Coy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Francisco J. López
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gustavo A. Peñuela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Carolina Aristizabal-Ciro or Ana María Botero-Coy.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Ester Heath

Carolina Aristizabal-Ciro and Ana María Botero-Coy contributed equally to the design, development, writing and revision of the present article.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM. 1

In this section, two figures are included, showing the distribution of IBU and MePB in reservoir RG (Figure 1SI) and in reservoir LF (Figure 2SI) water collected at three depths for different sampling stations and monitoring dates. Also three tables, 1SI: Monitoring plan for reservoirs, tributary rivers and DWTPs, 2SI: Concentrations (ng/L) found for BZP, MePB and IBU in samples from reservoir RG, 3SI: Concentrations (ng/L) found for BZP, MePB and IBU in samples from reservoir LF, are included to support the information given in the manuscript. (DOCX 1069 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aristizabal-Ciro, C., Botero-Coy, A.M., López, F.J. et al. Monitoring pharmaceuticals and personal care products in reservoir water used for drinking water supply. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 7335–7347 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8253-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8253-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation