Occurrence, distribution and partitioning of nonionic surfactants and pharmaceuticals in the urbanized Long Island Sound Estuary (NY).
This work deals with the environmental distribution of nonionic surfactants (nonylphenol and alcohol ethoxylates), their metabolites (NP, nonylphenol; NPEC, nonylphenol ethoxycarboxylates; and PEG, polyethylene glycols) and a selection of 64 pharmaceuticals in the Long Island Sound (LIS) Estuary which receives important sewage discharges from New York City (NYC). Most target compounds were efficiently removed (>95%) in one wastewater treatment plant monitored, with the exception of NPEC and some specific drugs (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide). Concentrations of surfactants (1.4-4.5 μg L(-1)) and pharmaceuticals (0.1-0.3 μg L(-1)) in seawater were influenced by tides and sampling depth, consistent with salinity differences. Surfactants levels in suspended solids samples were higher than 1 μg g(-1), whereas only most hydrophobic or positively charged pharmaceuticals could be found (e.g., tamoxifen, clarithromycin). Maximum levels of target compounds in LIS sediments (PEG at highest concentrations, 2.8 μg g(-1)) were measured nearest NYC, sharply decreasing with distance from major sewage inputs.
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real 11510, Spain; School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook 11794-5000, NY, United States. Electronic address: pablo.lara@uca.es.
Pablo A
PA
Lara-Martín
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real 11510, Spain.
Eduardo
E
González-Mazo
Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
Mira
M
Petrovic
Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain; Water and Soil Quality Research group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
Damià
D
Barceló
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook 11794-5000, NY, United States.
Bruce J
BJ
Brownawell
D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000032:analysis; D063366:Estuaries; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D009518:New York; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000032:analysis; D014507:Urbanization; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification
D017291:Clarithromycin; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010636:Phenols; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012722:Sewage; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D013629:Tamoxifen; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C025256:nonylphenol
Pharmaceuticals; Seawater; Sediments; Surfactants; Tide; Wastewater