title: Assessing environmental risk of pharmaceuticals in Portugal: An approach for the selection of the Portuguese monitoring stations in line with Directive 2013/39/EU.
abstract: In line with the Directive 2013/39/EU the most representative surface waters, regarding pharmaceuticals contamination, were selected based on a Portuguese nationwide monitoring exercise. To meet this purpose, and given that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are regarded as the major point sources of pharmaceuticals environmental contamination, the occurrence, fate and environmental risk assessment (ERA) of eleven of the most consumed pharmaceuticals, belonging to several therapeutic classes were assessed in 15 WWTPs (influents (WWIs) and effluents (WWEs)), from five different regions during one year (4 sampling campaigns). Results showed that all samples were contaminated with at least 1, and up to 8 from the 11 targeted pharmaceuticals. The highest concentrations observed were 150 and 33 μg L(-1) for WWI and WWE, respectively. Regarding temporal and spacial influence, winter, Alentejo, Algarve and Center regions presented higher mass loads. The ERA posed by 7 of the selected pharmaceuticals presented a risk quotient higher than 1 to the three trophic levels. Our findings highlighted that the rivers Mondego, Tagus, Ave, Trancão, Fervença and Xarrama should be selected as surface water monitoring stations. This study gives a good overview on pharmaceuticals contamination in WWTPs and its impact on surface waters in Portugal. Thus, a more integrative approach to rank and prioritize pharmaceuticals, based on an integrated assessment of ERA and exposure of surface water, was provided to support the future selection of the 6 most representative monitoring stations in Portugal, as required by the above mentioned directive.
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: amptpereira@gmail.com.
authors.forename: André M P T
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: ljgsilva@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Liliana J G
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: cmlino@ci.uc.pt.
authors.forename: Celeste M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lino
authors.affiliation: INFARMED, I.P., National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, 1749-004 Lisboa, Portugal; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal. Electronic address: leonor.meisel@infarmed.pt.
authors.forename: Leonor M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: apena@ci.uc.pt.
authors.forename: Angelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pena
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005062:European Union; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D011174:Portugal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Environmental contaminants; Environmental risk assessment; Municipal wastewaters; Pharmaceuticals