The occurrence of antihistamines in sewage waters and in recipient rivers |
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Authors: | Jussi Kosonen Leif Kronberg |
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Institution: | 1. Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ?bo Akademi University, Biskopsgatan 8, 20500, ?bo, Finland
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Abstract: | Background, aim and scope Each year, large quantities of pharmaceuticals are consumed worldwide for the treatment and prevention of human and animal
diseases. Although the drugs and the metabolites observed in the wastewaters and in the environment are present at concentrations
several orders of magnitude lower than the concentrations required to exert their effects in humans or animals, their long-term
impact on the environment is commonly not known. In this study, the occurrence of six antihistamines, which are used for the
relief of allergic reactions such as hay fever, was determined in sewage treatment plants wastewaters and in recipient river
waters.
Materials and methods The occurrence of the antihistamines cetirizine, acrivastine, fexofenadine, loratadine, desloratadine and ebastine in sewage
treatment plants wastewaters and in recipient river waters was studied. The analytical procedure consisted of solid-phase
extraction of the water samples followed by liquid chromatography separation and detection by a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer
in the multiple reaction mode.
Results Cetirizine, acrivastine and fexofenadine were detected in both influent and effluent wastewater samples at concentration levels
ranging from about 80 to 220 ng/L, while loratadine, desloratadine and ebastine could not be detected in any samples. During
sewage treatment, the concentration of the antihistamines dropped by an average of 16–36%. Furthermore, elevated concentrations
of antihistamines were observed in samples collected during the season of most intensive plant pollen production, i.e. in
May. In the river water samples, the relative pattern of occurrence of cetirizine, acrivastine and fexofenadine was similar
to that in the wastewater samples; although the concentration of the compounds was substantially lower (4–11 ng/L). The highest
concentrations of the studied drugs were observed near the discharging point of the sewage treatment plant.
Discussion The highest concentrations of antihistamines in STP wastewaters correlate with the outbreak of allergic reaction caused by
high amounts of plant pollens in the air. The analysis results of the river water samples show that the antihistamines are
carried far away from the effluent discharge points. They may account for a part of the mix of pharmaceuticals and of pharmaceutical
metabolites that occur downstream of STPs.
Conclusions Antihistamines are poorly degraded/eliminated under the biological treatment processes applied in the wastewater treatment
plants and, consequently, they are continuously being discharged along with other drugs to the aquatic environment.
Recommendations and perspectives As a huge quantity and variety of drugs and their metabolites are continuously discharged to rivers and the sea, the compounds
should be considered as contaminants that may possess risks to the aquatic ecosystem. Further studies are urgently needed
on the environmental fate of the antihistamines and other pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. These studies should
be concerned with the stability of the compounds, their transformation reactions and the identity of the transformation products,
the distribution of drugs and their uptake and effects in organisms. On the basis of these studies, the possible environmental
hazards of pharmaceuticals may be assessed. |
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Keywords: | Acrivastine Antihistamines Cetirizine Desloratadine Ebastine Fexofenadine Loratadine Pharmaceuticals Recipient rivers River water analysis Sewage waters Wastewater analysis |
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