title: Determination of a broad spectrum of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in biofilm from a waste water treatment plant-impacted river.
abstract: Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are one of the main sources of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds in freshwater ecosystems, and several studies have reported bioaccumulation of these compounds in different organisms in those ecosystems. River biofilms are exceptional indicators of pollution, but very few studies have focused on the accumulation of these emerging contaminants. The objectives of this study were first to develop an efficient analytical methodology for the simultaneous analysis of 44 pharmaceuticals and 13 endocrine disrupting compounds in biofilm, and second, to assess persistence, distribution, and bioaccumulation of these contaminants in natural biofilms inhabiting a WWTP-impacted river. The method is based on pressurized liquid extraction, purification by solid-phase extraction, and analysis by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) in tandem. Recoveries for pharmaceuticals were 31-137%, and for endocrine disruptors 32-93%. Method detection limits for endocrine disruptors were in the range of 0.2-2.4 ng g(-1), and for pharmaceuticals, 0.07-6.7 ng g(-1). A total of five endocrine disruptors and seven pharmaceuticals were detected in field samples at concentrations up to 100 ng g(-1).
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huerta
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain. Electronic address: srodriguez@icra.cat.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Mozaz
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nannou
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nakis
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruhí
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Acuña
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus de Montivili, 17071 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabater
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barcelo
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Biofilm; Endocrine disruptors; Extraction; Pharmaceuticals