Gauging the pharmaceutical burden on Sydney’s environment: a preventative response

Metabolized and/or unmetabolized fractions of pharmaceuticals upon excretion or being washed from the skin can undergo complex chemical reactions. Entering the sewerage system some may also react with other synthetic chemicals to form unfathomable brews. Unfortunately most sewerage treatment plants fail to remove a sizeable proportion of these compounds. Their impact when released to the environment as a component of treated effluent remains a matter for conjecture although some insight has, for example, derived from work done on the effects of antibiotics on insects at entry points (dung) to pasture and groundwater. There is the possibility too that effects are occurring toward the limits of detection of suspect compounds notably endocrine disruption. To draw attention to the seriousness of the local problem in a situation where no data exists, a gross estimate of the annual drug load has been made for Sydney’s environment using statistics collected under the Australian Government’s Prescribed Benefits and Repatriation Benefits Scheme. This amounts to 17 tonnes but allowing for hospitals and clinics as well as OTC and illicit drugs, the overall figure is probably closer to 30 tonnes per annum. A two-prong impact reduction strategy is proposed comprising suggestions for curbing the discharge of existing medications and most importantly, a longer term fix utilising both natural product pharmaceuticals and vaccines and even gene therapy.     

Using lysosomal membrane stability of haemocytes in Ruditapes philippinarum as a biomarker of cellular stress to assess contamination by caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine and novobiocin

Although pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment only in the range from ng/L to g/L, it has been demonstrated that they can adversely affect the health status of aquatic organisms. Lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) has previously been applied as an indicator of cellular well-being to determine health status in bivalve mussels. The objective of this study is to evaluate LMS in Ruditapes philippinarum haemolymph using the neutral red retention assay (NRRA). Clams were exposed in laboratory conditions to caffeine (0.1, 5, 15, 50 μg/L), ibuprofen (0.1, 5, 10, 50 μg/L), carbamazepine and novobiocin (both at 0.1, 1, 10, 50 μg/L) for 35 days. Results show a dose-dependent effect of the pharmaceuticals. The neutral red retention time measured at the end of the bioassay was significantly reduced by 50% after exposure to environmental concentrations (p < 0.05) (caffeine = 15 μg/L; ibuprofen = 10 μg/L; carbamazepine = 1 μg/L and novobiocin = 1 μg/L), compared to controls. Clams exposed to these pharmaceuticals were considered to present a diminished health status (retention time < 45 min), significantly worse than controls (96 min) (p < 0.05). The predicted no environmental effect concentration (PNEC) results showed that these pharmaceuticals are very toxic at the environmental concentrations tested. Measurement of the alteration of LMS has been found to be a sensitive technique that enables evaluation of the health status of clams after exposure to pharmaceuticals under laboratory conditions, thus representing a robust Tier-1 screening biomarker.     

pH值和离子强度对针铁矿吸附磺胺二甲基嘧啶的影响机制

磺胺二甲基嘧啶作为普遍使用的抗生素代表,可通过动物粪便施肥及药物不规范使用进入到环境中.针铁矿是土壤中分布广泛且活性较高的一种矿物,会对磺胺二甲基嘧啶的环境行为产生一定的影响.为了正确评估磺胺二甲基嘧啶的环境风险,本文考察了溶液pH值、离子强度对针铁矿吸附磺胺二甲基嘧啶的影响.结果表明:磺胺二甲基嘧啶在针铁矿上的吸附具有明显的非线性,且吸附具有明显的滞后现象,吸附等温线可以用Freundlich模型较好的拟合(R~2=0.991);磺胺二甲基嘧啶在针铁矿上的吸附随着pH值的增加先增加后减小,随着离子强度的增加开始有微弱的增加然后保持不变;在酸性和中性条件下,表面络合作用是主导磺胺二甲基嘧啶在针铁矿表面上吸附的主要机制,在碱性条件下静电斥力是主导吸附的主要作用力.因此,在评估抗生素的环境行为时,应该考虑不同的环境条件对针铁矿吸附磺胺二甲基嘧啶的影响.     

水环境中药物污染及迁移转化行为研究进展

药物在人体健康和畜牧业生产中起到了积极的作用。但是未被完全吸收、利用的药物或其代谢物将通过尿液、粪便排泄等途径进入水体,而污水处理厂现有处理技术对其不能有效地去除。虽然药物在水体中的半衰期较短,但是其大量、频繁的使用,仍有可能形成"假性持久性"污染。近年来,在地表水、地下水、饮用水、污泥、土壤、水生物体内等环境介质中都报道有检测到不同浓度水平的药物,其对生态环境和人类健康的影响已引起国际社会广泛关注。欧美一些国家对水环境中药物做了较深入的研究,而我国相关研究报道较少。文章对水环境中药物的来源、污染现状及迁移转化行为等研究进展作了综合分析和讨论,为我国开展相关研究及建立水环境中药物污染的生态风险评价提供参考。     

典型城市污水中对羟基苯甲酸酯的污染特征

对羟基苯甲酸酯(parabens)作为防腐剂、防霉剂和杀菌剂等被广泛应用于食品、化妆品和药品中.近年来的研究表明,该类化合物能够在地表水体中检出,对水生生态环境存在潜在的危害.本研究于2016年秋季和冬季,对哈尔滨某典型城市污水处理厂进水进行了24 h连续采集,对6种parabens的质量浓度和4种常规水质指标进行了分析.结果表明,parabens普遍存在于城市污水中,对羟基苯甲酸甲酯、对羟基苯甲酸乙酯和对羟基苯甲酸丙酯是主要目标物,总有机碳、总溶解固体和酸碱度与parabens的浓度具有相关性;城市污水中parabens的质量浓度具有明显的日变化趋势,但是季节差异性不大.本研究结果为城市污水处理系统中parabens的深入研究和污染控制提供了重要理论依据.     

河道水旁路处理中试工艺中PPCPs的去除效果及机制

城市河道水中含有微量药物及个人护理品（pharmaceuticals and personal care products,PPCPs）,具有一定生态风险.本文系统考察了两种河道水旁路处理工艺（混凝沉淀-曝气生物滤池-超滤-臭氧和混凝沉淀-膜生物反应器-臭氧）对30种高检出PPCPs的去除效果,并通过沿程去除率调查和风险商模型分别评价了目标PPCPs的降解机制及整体生态风险的降低情况.结果表明,两种旁路处理工艺对各目标PPCPs均有较好去除效果;其中四环素类抗生素及咖啡因在生物段去除率超过90%,而磺胺类及氟喹诺酮类抗生素及其他药物仅在进水化学需氧量较高和较高水温条件下具有较好去除效果,但臭氧深度处理可对其进行有效削减;经全流程处理后各PPCPs累积去除率均可达92.5%以上.旁路处理可有效降低目标PPCPs生态风险,经处理后风险商值由原水的12.6降至总出水的0.2（风险阈值RQ_tot=1）,去除率达98.4%.     

A survey of sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics in the environment

Antibiotics are poorly metabolized, and can enter the environment via human waste streams, agricultural run-off and pharmaceutical effluent. We consequently expect to see a concentration gradient of antibiotic compounds radiating from areas of human population. Such antibiotics should be thought of as pollutants, as they can accumulate, and have biological effects. These antibiotic pollutants can increase rates of mutation and lateral transfer events, and continue to exert selection pressure even at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Here, we conducted a literature survey on environmental concentrations of antibiotics. We collated 887 data points from 40 peer-reviewed papers. We then determined whether these concentrations were biologically relevant by comparing them to their minimum selective concentrations, usually defined as between 1/4 and 1/230 of the minimum inhibitory concentration. Environmental concentrations of antibiotics surveyed often fall into this range. In general, the antibiotic concentrations recorded in aquatic and sediment samples were similar. These findings indicate that environmental concentrations of antibiotics are likely to be influencing microbial ecology, and to be driving the selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria.     

长江中游典型饮用水水源中药物的时空分布及风险评价

采用固相萃取-高效液相色谱/串联质谱方法,分析长江中游典型饮用水水源中药物的季节变化和空间分布;结合风险熵方法,评价其对水生生物的生态风险.结果表明,80%的目标药物在饮用水水源中检出,浓度平均值在0.07～13.00 ng·L^-1之间,与国内报道的其他饮用水水源相比,检出浓度处于中等偏低水平.不同药物表现出不同的时空分布,一般冬季的检出水平高于夏季,上下游之间没有显著性差异,可能与药物的季节性/区域性使用排放、流量对稀释作用的影响和温度对生物降解的影响有关.与新冠肺炎疫情前相比,长江中游典型饮用水水源中药物检出浓度较低,原因可能在于疫情防控一定程度上减少药物的使用排放,以及较高的降水量和径流量加强水流的稀释作用.目标药物特别是抗生素对水生生物（特别是藻类）具有中等或低风险,考虑到药物的生态风险、遗传毒性以及抗生素抗性基因的潜在风险,建议加强水环境中药物的调查、评估、治理和管控.     

Integument and defence in larva and prepupa of a sawfly living on a semi-aquatic plant

The larvae of the sawfly Rhadinoceraea micans live and feed on a semi-aquatic plant, Iris pseudacorus, and their integument is strongly hydrophobic. The hydrophobicity is part of a chemical defence strategy, easy bleeding, also known from congeners. The prepupae burrow into the soil where they form a cocoon in which they pupate, thus implying different micro-environmental conditions. The cuticle structure and wetting defensive effectiveness of R. micans were compared between larvae and prepupae. The two stages were similarly well defended against attacking ants by the bleeding of a deterrent hemolymph, whereas they were dissimilar in the cuticle surface that presented sculptures and wax crystals at the larval stage only. The integument of prepupae was less structured, and hydrophilic. Larvae of R. micans exhibit, among sawflies, an exceptional cuticle structuring and we assume that they occupy this particular niche of a semi-aquatic environment to avoid encounters with ground-dwelling predators whereas prepupae may benefit from the chemical defence acquired at larval stage.     

河口-近海环境新污染物的环境过程、效应与风险

在全球变化和人类活动双重影响下,大量陆源污染物特别是备受各国政府和民众关注的微塑料、新型持久性有机污染物以及药物和个人护理品等新污染物进入水体环境并迁移扩散,对近海生态环境安全和人体健康产生了巨大影响.综述国内外微塑料、全/多氟化合物、抗生素和内分泌干扰物等新污染物在河口-近海环境中的污染来源、时空分布和迁移传输等环境过程及其影响因素,分析探讨近海水生生态系统中新污染物产生的不良生态效应和风险,提出未来研究重点应关注河口-近海环境中多种新污染物的相互作用和新污染物产生的联合生态毒理效应及造成的生态和健康风险等,为陆海统筹下的海洋污染防治和海洋经济的健康发展提供科学依据.     

洋浦经济开发区的水资源及其环境功能分区研究

分析、总结了洋浦经济开发区的水资源特点,其可供水源有地下水、区外水库引水。沿岸海水是开发区十分重要的污染物接纳体、环境承载体和生态稳定体。根据对开发区环境和经济发展的调研,提出了沿岸水环境的优化空间布局与合理的功能分区水资源保护思路     

适合我国的电子废物回收模式

随着经济发展,我国电子废物产生量已开始步入高峰期。电子废物含有重金属、有毒有机物等有害物质,如不妥善回收处理,将会严重危害环境和人体健康。国内外对于回收电子废物的处理技术方法研究比较广泛,形成比较成熟的工艺方法,可以达到资源化和无害化。而电子废弃物如何有效地回收至电子废物处理厂,避免不正规处理带来的环境污染,成为电子废物污染防治工作的瓶颈。在借鉴国外电子废物回收经验的基础上,结合我国国情,提出适合我国的电子废物回收模式。     

污水厂中微塑料的污染及迁移特征研究进展

合成聚合物的广泛使用和持久性污染使得微塑料（<5mm）成为近年来受到广泛关注的一种新型污染物,污水的大量排放是淡水和海洋环境微塑料的主要来源之一,而污水处理厂也成为微塑料进入淡水与海洋环境的一个重要途径.通过系统调研,追溯污水处理厂中微塑料的来源,综述污水处理厂中微塑料的迁移和污染特征的研究进展,分析国内外污水处理厂中微塑料的特征和去除效果的差异性,为开展国内污水处理厂中微塑料污染研究与监督工作提供参考,并展望未来污水处理厂工艺的发展及改进方向.     

北京市生活污水中曲马多和芬太尼的赋存

曲马多和芬太尼是临床上常用的止痛药品,具有一定的成瘾性,其滥用问题被社会广泛关注.这两种药物经人体代谢后,会以代谢产物和原药的形式随尿液进入生活污水并汇入污水处理厂,经处理后被排入自然水体,带来潜在的环境风险.在国内外已有研究的基础上,建立了污水中曲马多和芬太尼的前处理及分析测定方法,并首次对北京市23家污水厂进出水中曲马多和芬太尼进行测定.进水中曲马多的浓度范围为(10. 2±8. 7)～(175. 3±59. 7) ng·L-1,而芬太尼在多数水样中未被检出.传统活性污泥工艺对曲马多的去除效果较差,其它工艺均能有效去除曲马多.北京市中心城区曲马多的负荷水平显著高于近郊的负荷水平.基于污水流行病学方法对北京市曲马多的使用进行了估算,海淀区曲马多的年使用量最高,约为202. 5 kg.北京市夏季曲马多的使用量显著高于冬季.本研究为全国范围曲马多和芬太尼使用的污水流行病学调查提供了参考依据.     

哒嗪硫磷废水综合预处理研究

为处理河北省某农药厂生产过程中产生的高浓度哒嗪硫磷废水,研究采用过滤除油-加酸中和-过滤-混凝技术对该废水进行综合预处理。采用该工艺进行预处理后COD<3000mg/L,预处理后水质基本稳定,可生化性能提高,符合后续生化处理的水质要求,在去除COD和S2-的同时回收硫磺和硫化钠,体现循环经济,清洁生产工艺思想。     

Environmental Conditions Leading to Shellfish Contamination and Related Outbreaks

Human fecal wastes contain a large variety of viruses that can enter the environment through discharge of waste materials from infected individuals. Despite the high diversity of viruses that are introduced into the environment by human fecal pollution, only a few have been recognized to cause disease in association with consumption of contaminated shellfish. To explain bivalve mollusks contamination, several factors including human epidemiology, virus persistence through sewage treatment plant, and shellfish uptake may be suggested. Considering different outbreaks described in the literature, the most common route for transmission is accidental contamination after heavy rainfall, when extra loads cause an overflow, and release of untreated sewage into the aquatic environment. Outbreak analysis also demonstrates the impact on shellfish consumption of some viral strain transmission and thus their impact on molecular epidemiology, especially for norovirus. To limit shellfish contamination and thus to protect the consumer, the most desirable and effective option is to reduce the viral input.     

典型药物在医院废水和城市污水处理厂中的污染特征及去除情况

本研究采用固相萃取结合高效液相色谱-串联三重四级杆质谱仪监测了17种苯二氮类药物、14种酸性药物和5种中性药物在广东省广州市的4座医院污水处理系统（H1~H4）和3座城市污水处理厂（W1~W3）中的污染特征.结果表明,在医院污水处理系统中检测到10种苯二氮类药物、8种酸性药物和3种中性药物,进出水中的浓度范围分别为0.41~23376 ng·L^-1和0.11~22888 ng·L^-1;在城市污水处理厂中检测到8种苯二氮类药物、8种酸性药物和4种中性药物,进出水中的浓度范围分别为0.4~1695 ng·L^-1和0.1~1526 ng·L^-1.其中,检测到浓度较高的苯二氮类药物分别为劳拉西泮［（53.1±2.7）ng·L^-1,H1］、奥沙西泮［（39.5±4.1）ng·L^-1,W2］和氯氮平［（30.6±4.0）ng·L^-1,W1］,布洛芬［（19014±5430）ng·L^-1,H1］和扑热息痛［（2600±570）ng·L^-1,H2］分别是酸性和中性药物中检测浓度最高的药物.大部分苯二氮类药物在医院污水处理系统和污水处理厂中的去除率均低于30%.酸性和中性药物的去除率远高于苯二氮类药物,且在污水处理厂中的去除率大部分在60%~99%之间,高于医院污水处理系统（10%~60%）.最后,根据人均污染负荷推算了典型药物在广东省和广州市的使用量以及广州市的年排放量,20种药物在广东省和广州市的总使用量分别为30371 kg·a^-1和3942 kg·a^-1,其中扑热息痛和布洛芬的使用量最高,苯二氮类药物中奥沙西泮和劳拉西泮也有较高的使用量.20种药物在广州市的排放量达到了1456 g·a^-1,各类药物的排放量范围为3.07（甲芬那酸）~378 g·a^-1（奥沙西泮）.     

金属有机框架材料吸附去除水中有机砷的研究进展

有机砷作为饲料添加剂在家禽养殖中被广泛使用,并伴随着家禽粪便大量进入环境中. 进入环境后有机砷容易被生物降解或(光)化学氧化转化为剧毒的无机砷,危害环境和人体健康. 因此,高效处理有机砷污染受到广泛关注. 金属有机框架(metal organic frameworks, MOFs)材料因其具有孔隙率和比表面积大、孔道尺寸可调、易功能化改性和材料性能可定制等特点,在水体污染物的去除中展现了良好的应用前景. 本文综述了目前MOFs材料作为吸附剂去除水环境中有机砷的最新研究进展,介绍了吸附有机砷MOFs材料的种类、制备方法和吸附性能,总结了MOFs材料吸附有机砷的关键影响因素,并归纳了不同类型MOFs材料吸附的再生方法和稳定性. 最后,指出了当前MOFs存在的技术缺陷及限制工程应用的关键因素,并提出相对应的建议及解决措施.      

Integrated chain management in Germany – identifying schools of thought based on a literature review

The concept of integrated chain management has received much attention in German management literature. This can be seen in the increasing output of both papers and books on the topic as well as in the number of Ph.D. and habilitation (post-Ph.D.) theses that have contributed to the concept. Integrated chain management can be comprehended as supply chain management that takes environmental and social issues into account.This paper is designed to provide an overview of the concept of integrated chain management. This is done by means of a literature review, where related book publications with a focus on similar Ph.D. and habilitation theses have systematically been collected and analyzed. On the basis of this content analysis, major historical lines of development can be observed. Three schools are identified: the material and information flow school, the strategy and cooperation school and the regional industrial network school. The major research captured in these schools is described.     

Rapid detection of multiple class pharmaceuticals in both municipal wastewater and sludge with ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

This work described the development, optimization and validation of an analytical method for rapid detection of multiple-class pharmaceuticals in both municipal wastewater and sludge samples based on ultrasonic solvent extraction, solid-phase extraction, and ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantification. The results indicated that the developed method could effectively extract all the target pharmaceuticals （25） in a single process and analyze them within 24 min. The recoveries of the target pharmaceuticals were in the range of 69%-131% for wastewater and 54%-130% for sludge at different spiked concentration levels. The method quantification limits in wastewater and sludge ranged from 0.02 to 0.73 ng/L and from 0.02 to 1.00μg/kg, respectively. Subsequently, this method was validated and applied for residual pharma- ceutical analysis in a wastewater treatment plant located in Beijing, China. All the target pharmaceuticals were detected in the influent samples with concentrations varying from 0.09 ng/L （tiamulin） to 15.24 μg/L （caffeine）; meanwhile, up to 23 pharmaceuticals were detected in sludge samples with concentrations varying from 60 ng/kg （sulfamethizole） to 8.55 mg/kg （ofloxacin）. The developed method demonstrated its selectivity, sensitivity, and reliability for detecting multiple-class pharmaceuticals in complex matrices such as municipal wastewater and sludge.