ABSTRACT

The occurrence of a representative range of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) in urban wastewaters was studied in two Portuguese water-scarce regions (Lisbon great area, and Faro – Algarve), involving 55 sampling campaigns during 2.5 years. The results show 16 PhCs (out of the 24 analysed) were quantified in all samples, with similar concentrations in both wastewaters. To understand to what extent seasonality affects PhC occurrence, a statistical analysis was conducted, and daily maximum air temperature was identified as a key factor, with a turning point of 20°C in Lisbon and 22°C in Faro. Some PhCs showed lower concentrations in colder (wet) months due to rainwater dilution (combined sewer systems), whereas others showed higher concentrations, reflecting an increased seasonal consumption and/or slower transformation under lower temperatures and/or shorter hydraulic retention times. Seasonal studies should therefore focus on temperature rather than on calendar seasons, increasingly uncertain due to climate change.

摘要

在葡萄牙的两个缺水地区（里斯本大区和法鲁 - 阿尔加维）研究了城市废水中具有代表性的一系列药物化合物 (PhC) 的存在，涉及 2.5 年中的 55 次采样活动。结果显示，在所有样品中对 16 种 PhC（在分析的 24 种中）进行了量化，两种废水中的浓度相似。为了了解季节性对 PhC 发生的影响程度，我们进行了统计分析，将每日最高气温确定为关键因素，里斯本的转折点为 20°C，法鲁为 22°C。由于雨水稀释（联合下水道系统），一些 PhC 在较冷（潮湿）的月份显示出较低的浓度，而另一些则显示出较高的浓度，反映季节性消耗增加和/或在较低温度和/或较短的水力停留时间下更慢的转化。因此，季节性研究应侧重于温度而不是日历季节，因为气候变化越来越不确定。