Abstract
In Brazil, environmental occurrence of micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, is rarely studied, and these compounds are not part of national water quality guidelines. In this study, we evaluated the occurrence of micropollutants in the Paraibuna River, located in the southeast region of Brazil, which is the most populated region of the country. Surface water samples were taken every 3 months for 1.5 years at four different sites downstream the city of Juiz de Fora. A total of 28 compounds were analyzed on an UHPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS using a direct injection method. Nine substances were found in at least one water sample, with concentrations ranging from 11 to 4471 ng L−1. The micropollutants found in the river were not detected at the reference site upstream of the city, except for caffeine, which was present at low concentrations in the reference site. Additionally, a nontarget screening of the river samples was applied, which resulted in the identification of 116 chemicals, most of which were pharmaceuticals. Concentrations of most of the micropollutants varied with season and correlated significantly with rainfall events, which caused dilution in the river. The highest observed concentrations were for pharmaceuticals used for treating chronic diseases, such as metformin, which is used to treat diabetes, and were among the most consumed in Juiz de Fora during the study period. Moderate ecotoxicological risks were found for metformin, oxazepam, triclosan, and tramadol. Considering the complex mixture of micropollutants in the environment, more knowledge is needed to elucidate their ecological risk in aquatic ecosystems.
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aus der Beek et al. (2016, database updated 2019). Note that the values are reported in µg L−1
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All the data used in this study can be found in the manuscript and the supporting information.
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Acknowledgements
The thank José Paranaíba for providing the study area map. We thank the Secretaria de Saúde do Município de Juiz de Fora (Municipal Health Secretariat of Juiz de Fora) for providing data of medicines consumption.
Funding
This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)—Finance Code 001—and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG). Fieldworks were funding partially by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013)/ERC Grant Agreement No. 336642.
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All authors contributed to the study design. Material preparation and sampling was performed by GRQ and PSAS. Chemical analysis was performed by GRQ and ZL. Data analysis and evaluation were performed by GRQ and AS. The first draft of the manuscript was written by GRQ and AS. All the authors contributed to the manuscript preparation and approved the final manuscript.
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Quadra, G.R., Li, Z., Silva, P.S.A. et al. Temporal and Spatial Variability of Micropollutants in a Brazilian Urban River. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 81, 142–154 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-021-00853-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-021-00853-z