Initial ecological risk assessment of eight selected human pharmaceuticals in Japan.
Eight pharmaceuticals were selected on the basis of their domestic consumption in Japan, the excretion ratio of the parent compound and the frequency of detection in the aquatic environment or wastewater treatment plant effluent. Toxicity tests on these pharmaceuticals were conducted using Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), daphnia (Daphnia magna), and green algae (Psuedokirchneriella subcapitata). Predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) was calculated using lethal or effect concentration 50 (LC50 or EC50) values and no effect concentration (NOEC) obtained in the toxicity tests for these compounds. Predicted environmental concentration (PEC) was also calculated from annual consumption, the excretion rate of the parent compound, and removal rate in the preliminary batch activated sludge treatment performed in this study. Maximum concentrations found in the aquatic environment or sewage effluent in Japan or foreign countries were also used for another calculation of PEC. Initial risk assessment on the selected pharmaceuticals was performed using the PEC/PNEC ratio. The results of initial risk assessment on the eight selected pharmaceuticals suggest neither urgent nor severe concern for the ecological risk of these compounds, but further study needs to be conducted using chronic toxicity tests, including reproduction inhibition and endocrine disruption assessments.
Yamamoto
Hiroshi
H
Department of Physical, Chemical, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8502, Japan. hiroshi@ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Nakamura
Yudai
Y
Nakamura
Yuki
Y
Kitani
Chise
C
Imari
Tetsuya
T
Sekizawa
Jun
J
Takao
Yuji
Y
Yamashita
Naoyuki
N
Hirai
Narisato
N
Oda
Shigeto
S
Tatarazako
Norihisa
N
D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D007564:Japan; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D009990:Oryzias / Q000378:metabolism; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical