Occurrence and removal of lidocaine,tramadol, venlafaxine,and their metabolites in German wastewater treatment plants

Purpose  

Some of the pharmaceuticals that are not extensively investigated in the aquatic environment are the anesthetic lidocaine (LDC), the analgesic tramadol (TRA), and the antidepressant venlafaxine (VEN). LDC metabolizes to 2,6-xylidine (2,6-DMA) and monoethylglycinexylidine (MEGX), TRA to O-desmethyltramadol (ODT), and VEN to O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV). Within this study, the distribution and behavior of these compounds in German wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were investigated.     

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in urban and rural precipitation in Germany

The use of the oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline has led to detectable concentrations in urban and rural air up to 160 ppbV. Results from MTBE measurement in precipitation have not been reported so far. In the present study, 120 samples of precipitation collected at 17 sampling locations all over Germany have been analyzed for their MTBE content. Analysis is performed by a combination of headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A 75 μm poly(dimethylsiloxane)/Carboxene fiber and a cryostat is used for SPME. The detection limit is 10 ng/l. In precipitation samples, MTBE was detected in wintertimes only with a maximum concentration of 85 ng/l. Measurement at Frankfurt/M City from 6 September 2000 to 12 March 2001 provided for 49% of the data concentrations in the range of 30–85 ng/l (n=17). Sampling in winter 2000/2001 at several German cities and rural locations showed that MTBE is more often detectable in urban (86%, n=78) than in rural (18%, n=42) precipitation. By comparing the results with corresponding temperatures and amounts of precipitation it can be concluded that the detection of MTBE in urban precipitation is observed at ambient temperatures lower than about 10–15°C. Moreover, the first precipitation after a dry period accumulates more MTBE than precipitation during or at the end of a wet period (wash-out effect). Highest concentrations occurred in snow samples. Corresponding mean air equilibrium concentrations of 0.04 ppbV (urban samples) and 0.01 ppbV (rural samples) are calculated. This is about one magnitude lower than year round and summertime measurements in the US and in Switzerland. Urban runoff (n=12) and corresponding precipitation sampling indicate that urban runoff might be composed of about 20% MTBE that is already transported by air and precipitation, whereas about 80% may be attributed to direct uptake of vehicle emissions and leakage near the road during precipitation.     

Evaluation of the respicon as a personal inhalable sampler in industrial environments

The Respicon has been introduced as a sampler for health related measurements of airborne contaminants at workplaces. The instrument is aimed at simultaneous collection of three health related aerosol fractions: (a) the coarser inhalable fraction, defining the aerosol fraction that may enter the nose and mouth during breathing; (b) the intermediate thoracic fraction, defining the fraction that may penetrate beyond the larynx and so reach the lung; and (c) the finer respirable fraction, defining the fraction that may penetrate to gas exchange region of the lung. The instrument has a number of features attractive to occupational hygienists: in addition to providing the three aerosol fractions simultaneously, it is light and compact enough to be used as a personal sampler. yet can be a tripod mounted for area sampling, it can provide samples not only for gravimetric analysis but also microscopic and chemical analyses; and it is also available in a photometric direct-reading version. The instrument has previously been evaluated as an area sampler and, in this mode of operation, has shown reasonable accuracy in collecting respirable, thoracic and inhalable particles, the latter up to particle diameters of ca. 80 microm. Except for some scattered unpublished data there exist no systematic investigations in the Respicon's performance when used as a personal sampler in the industrial environment. In this paper, we will report on a study of side by side comparison of the Respicon with the IOM inhalable sampler, regarded as a reference instrument for the inhalable fraction. The main study was performed at six different workplaces in a nickel refinery. Statistical analysis of the gravimetrically-determined concentration data reveals consistently lower aerosol exposure values for the Respicon as compared to the IOM sampler. The data for the nickel workplaces are compared with findings from other studies. The results are interpreted in the light of the overall results and the possibility of introducing a correction factor is discussed.