This study performs an environmental risk assessment (ERA) of the anthelmintic medicine albendazole (ABZ) in the eastern African region. A systematic literature search strategy was applied to obtain quantitative information on the physicochemical characteristics, the metabolization-fate, the ecotoxicity and the environmental occurrence in different countries worldwide serving as model regions. In addition, in-silico tools were employed to obtain data on physicochemical characteristics and toxic hazards of ABZ and its metabolites. Moreover, ERA models were used to predict environmental concentrations in different compartments and compare them with the measured environmental concentrations. Finally, the environmental risk of ABZ in the eastern Africa was estimated by calculating the risk quotient (RQ), and its uncertainty estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. The predicted environmental concentrations of ABZ in surface water in the model region based on consumption (1.6 to 267 ng/L) were within the range of values obtained from the measured environmental concentrations of the same region (0.05 to 101,000 ng/L). Using these models with adapted input variables for eastern Africa, the predicted surface water concentration in that region was 19,600±150 ng/L (95%CI). The calculated soil concentrations of ABZ in the model regions and the eastern Africa were found to be 0.057±0.0 μg/kg and 0.022±0.0 μg/kg, respectively. The environmental risk expressed as risk quotient of ABZ in eastern Africa estimated for the aquatic compartment (146±1) indicated a significant environmental risk calling on appropriate actions from the competent authorities to reduce this risk in this region.

本研究对东非地区的驱虫药阿苯达唑 (ABZ) 进行环境风险评估 (ERA)。采用系统的文献检索策略，获得了作为模型区域的全球不同国家的理化特征、代谢命运、生态毒性和环境发生的定量信息。此外，在硅工具被用来获取有关 ABZ 及其代谢物的理化特性和毒性危害的数据。此外，ERA 模型用于预测不同隔间中的环境浓度，并将其与测量的环境浓度进行比较。最后，通过计算风险商（RQ）估计了东非ABZ的环境风险，并通过蒙特卡罗模拟估计了其不确定性。基于消耗量的模型区域地表水中 ABZ 的预测环境浓度（1.6 至 267 ng/L）在从同一区域测量的环境浓度（0.05 至 101,000 ng/L）获得的值范围内。使用这些模型并针对东非调整输入变量，该地区的预测地表水浓度为 19,600±150 ng/L (95%CI)。模型区域和非洲东部的 ABZ 土壤浓度计算结果分别为 0.057±0.0 μg/kg 和 0.022±0.0 μg/kg。环境风险表示为东部非洲 ABZ 对水生舱室估计的风险商 (146±1)，表明存在重大的环境风险，需要主管当局采取适当行动来降低该地区的这种风险。