Holistic visualisation of the multimodal transport and fate of twelve pharmaceuticals in biosolid enriched topsoils.
The use of municipal biosolids as agricultural fertilisers has raised significant concerns in recent years. As part of this, the presence of complex mixtures of pharmaceutical residues and their effects on soil ecosystems remains particularly under-researched. This study focuses on the transfer of a selection of pharmaceutical residues from municipal sewage sludge to agricultural topsoils and their fate therein after an accelerated 6-month rainfall event. Twelve pharmaceuticals encompassing antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, beta-blockers, hyperlipidaemics and stimulants were invesigated by employing a combination of extraction techniques and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Both liquid- and solid-phase pharmaceutical contents were analysed and pharmaceutical and personal care products quantified at defined timepoints to elucidate transport behaviour and transformation potential. Results show the distribution and separation of pharmaceuticals over a 100-mm soil depth following typical biosolid enrichment. Using experimentally determined solid-water partition coefficients (K (d)) and hydrophobicity distribution ratios (D (ow)), mobility and modes of interaction under dynamic conditions are discussed. Finally, a brief study into the susceptibility of soil microbes is also presented. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of pharmaceutical and personal care products release from amended biosolids to soils to include the factors and mechanisms governing their distribution and transformation even over relatively shallow depths. It applies multicompartmental and mass-balanced chemical analyses as well as microbiological approaches for a holistic view of these complex processes.
Barron
Leon
L
Department of Forensic Science & Drug Monitoring, Pharmaceutical Science Division, Franklin-Wilkins Building, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK. leon.barron@kcl.ac.uk.
Nesterenko
Ekaterina
E
Irish Separation Science Cluster, National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland.
Hart
Kris
K
School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland.
Power
Emma
E
Irish Centre for Environmental Toxicology, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway, Republic of Ireland.
Quinn
Brian
B
Irish Centre for Environmental Toxicology, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway, Republic of Ireland.
Kelleher
Brian
B
School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland.
Paull
Brett
B
Irish Separation Science Cluster, National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland.
D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis*; D006795:Household Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D005308:Fertilizers; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants