A first screening and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and additives in personal care products in waste water, sludge, recipient water and sediment from Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.
A screening of a broad range of pharmaceuticals and additives in personal care products (PPCPs) in sub-arctic locations of the Faroe Islands (FO), Iceland (IS) and Greenland (GL) was conducted. In total 36 pharmaceuticals including some metabolites, and seven additives in personal care products were investigated in influent and effluent waters as well as sludge of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) and in water and sediment of recipients. Concentrations and distribution patterns for PPCPs discharged via sewage lines (SLs) to the marine environment were assessed. Of the 36 pharmaceuticals or metabolites analysed 33 were found close to or above the limit of detection (LOD) in all or a part of the samples. All of the seven investigated additives in personal care products were detected above the LOD. Some of the analysed PPCPs occurred in every or almost every sample. Among these were diclofenac, ibuprofen, lidocaine, naproxen, metformin, citalopram, venlafaxine, amiloride, furosemide, metoprolol, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and cetrimonium salt (ATAC-C16). Additionally, the study encompasses ecotoxicological risk assessment of 2/3 of the analysed PPCPs in recipient and diluted effluent waters. For candesartan only a small margin to levels with inacceptable risks was observed in diluted effluent waters at two locations (FO). Chronical risks for aquatic organisms staying and/or living around WWTP effluent pipe-outlets were indicated for 17β-estradiol and estriol in the three countries. Additives in PCPs were found to pose the largest risk to the aquatic environment. The surfactants CAPB and ATAC-C16 were found in concentrations resulting in risk factors up to 375 for CAPB and 165 for ATAC-C16 in recipients for diluted effluents from Iggia, Nuuk (GL) and Torshavn (FO) respectively. These results demonstrates a potentially high ecological risk stemming from discharge of surfactants as used in household and industrial detergents as well as additives in personal care products.
NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Fram- High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway; University Hospital of North Norway, Division of Diagnostic Services, Department of Laboratory Medicine, NO-9038 Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address: sandra.huber@unn.no.
Sandra
S
Huber
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 210 60, SE-100 31 Stockholm, Sweden.
Mikael
M
Remberger
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 210 60, SE-100 31 Stockholm, Sweden.
Lennart
L
Kaj
NILU, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Box 100, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway.
Martin
M
Schlabach
Matis, Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Vínlandsleið 12, IS-113 Reykjavík, Iceland.
Hrönn Ó
HÓ
Jörundsdóttir
Department of Environment, Ministry of Nature, Environment and Justice, Box 1614, GL-3900 Nuuk, Greenland.
Jette
J
Vester
Icelandic Medicines Agency, Vínlandsleið 14, IS-113 Reykjavík, Iceland.
Mímir
M
Arnórsson
National Health Service, Box 1001, GL-3900 Nuuk, Greenland.
Inge
I
Mortensen
Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Box 168, FO-100 Torshavn, Faroe Islands.
Richard
R
Schwartson
Research Department, Environment Agency, Box 2048, FO-165 Argir, Faroe Islands.
Maria
M
Dam
D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis; D003718:Denmark; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006116:Greenland; D007055:Iceland; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D003358:Cosmetics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ecotoxicological risk assessment; Hormones; PPCPs; Recipient; WWTP; Waste water