title: Occurrence and fate of PPCPs and correlations with water quality parameters in urban riverine waters of the Pearl River Delta, South China.
abstract: The occurrence and fate of eight PPCPs was studied in river waters from upstream to downstream of the three rivers in the Pearl River Delta, China. The correlations of PPCP levels and water quality parameters were also investigated. The analytes of the highest concentrations were caffeine, acetaminophen, and ciprofloxacin. Carbamazepine and erythromycin-H2O were detected at the lowest concentrations. The highest concentrations of PPCPs were found in the Shijing River, with 865 ng/L caffeine, 339 ng/L acetaminophen, and 304 ng/L ciprofloxacin. In general, the levels of PPCPs in the Zhujiang River were higher at sites where the metropolitan city Guangzhou is located and decreased from the epicenter along the river. Low levels of PPCPs were generally found in the Beijiang River. Positive correlations were found between PPCP levels, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and cumulative fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) volume. Among the four PPCPs evaluated (caffeine, acetaminophen, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole), caffeine had the best correlations with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.98. The prediction of PPCP concentrations at specified locations can be substantially simplified.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou, 510275, China. yangx36@mail.sysu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fangang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yuanyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kyana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Wangxing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Tingjin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000032:analysis; D002110:Caffeine / Q000032:analysis*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000032:analysis; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000032:analysis; D003671:DEET / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000032:analysis; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000032:analysis; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003671:DEET; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000082:Acetaminophen; D002110:Caffeine; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D004917:Erythromycin; D002244:Carbon; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole; D009584:Nitrogen