Ecological risk assessment of the presence of pharmaceutical residues in a French national water survey.
In this study, we focused on the list of 33 chemicals that was established through a French national prioritisation strategy. Assessing the potential risks to the environment was a step-wise procedure: (i) we determined the Predicted Environmental Concentration (PEC) of all molecules measured in the national survey based on the highest recommended dose used, (ii) we used the Measured Environmental Concentration (MEC) and the Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) to establish the Risk Quotient (RQ) based on either a PEC/PNEC (estimated risk) or MEC/PNEC (real risk) ratio. The risk assessment was performed using a binary ecological classification suggesting that appreciable risk is likely (RQ⩾1). Of the 15 molecules quantified in the survey, 12 had a PEC higher than the action limit value of 0.01μg/L. According to the EU Guideline, environmental risk was estimated as likely for the following five compounds: acetaminophen (RQ=1.6), ibuprofen (RQ=600), diclofenac (RQ=15), oxazepam (RQ=2.1) and carbamazepine (RQ=3.2). Only ibuprofen was identified as posing real environmental risk based on its MEC (RQ=1.9).
Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), 143/147 Boulevard Anatole France, 93285 Saint-Denis, France.
Camille
C
Bouissou-Schurtz
Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), 143/147 Boulevard Anatole France, 93285 Saint-Denis, France. Electronic address: paul.houeto@ansm.sante.fr.
Paul
P
Houeto
ABTE EA 4651, Université de Rouen, 22 Boulevard Gambetta, 76183 Rouen, France; UFR Médecine Pharmacie, Université de Rouen, 22 Boulevard Gambetta, 76183 Rouen, France.
Michel
M
Guerbet
Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (ANSES), 27/31 Avenue du Général Leclerc, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Morgane
M
Bachelot
Hydrosciences Montpellier UMR 5569, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Montpellier 1, Avenue Charles Flahault, 34093 Montpellier Cedex 05, France.
Claude
C
Casellas
Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), 143/147 Boulevard Anatole France, 93285 Saint-Denis, France.
Anne-Cécile
AC
Mauclaire
Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (ANSES), 27/31 Avenue du Général Leclerc, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Pascale
P
Panetier
Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), 143/147 Boulevard Anatole France, 93285 Saint-Denis, France.
Cécile
C
Delval
Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), 143/147 Boulevard Anatole France, 93285 Saint-Denis, France.
Dominique
D
Masset
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry*
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water
Environment; Pharmaceuticals; Risk assessment; Water resource