title: Pollution pathways of pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment on the island of Mallorca, Spain.
abstract: This work determines the principal environmental pollution pathways of pharmaceuticals on the island of Mallorca (Spain). The evaluation was made on the basis of the quantification of pharmaceutical residues by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in several environmental water samples, including wastewater-treatment plant effluents, municipal solid waste landfill leachates, groundwater (GW), and marine water. An overall set of 19 pharmaceuticals has been identified in the environment of the 27 human pharmaceuticals investigated in this study. WWTP effluents are the main source of discharge of the pharmaceuticals into the aquatic environment. The data indicate that reuse of treated domestic wastewater for irrigation (which supplies some 30 % of the total water demand in Mallorca) contributes to the contamination of GW. In addition, leaching from landfills is identified as another, but minor, possible source of introduction of pharmaceuticals to GW aquifers. Finally, WWTP effluents ending in the Mediterranean Sea, primarily highly urbanized coastal areas, cause pharmaceutical residues to occur in marine water bodies.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, Carretera de Valldemosa km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Rodríguez-Navas
authors: Erland
authors: E
authors: Björklund
authors: Søren A
authors: SA
authors: Bak
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Hansen
authors: Kristine A
authors: KA
authors: Krogh
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Maya
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Forteza
authors: Víctor
authors: V
authors: Cerdà
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods; D062611:Solid Waste / Q000032:analysis; D013030:Spain; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D062611:Solid Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical