Model-predicted occurrence of multiple pharmaceuticals in Swedish surface waters and their flushing to the Baltic Sea.
An exposure assessment for multiple pharmaceuticals in Swedish surface waters was made using the STREAM-EU model. Results indicate that Metformin (27 ton/y), Paracetamol (6.9 ton/y) and Ibuprofen (2.33 ton/y) were the drugs with higher amounts reaching the Baltic Sea in 2011. 35 of the studied substances had more than 1 kg/y of predicted flush to the sea. Exposure potential given by the ratio amount of the drug exported to the sea/amount emitted to the environment was higher than 50% for 7 drugs (Piperacillin, Lorazepam, Metformin, Hydroxycarbamide, Hydrochlorothiazide, Furosemide and Cetirizine), implying that a high proportion of them will reach the sea, and below 10% for 27 drugs, implying high catchment attenuation. Exposure potentials were found to be dependent of persistency and hydrophobicity of the drugs. Chemicals with Log D > 2 had exposure potentials <10% regardless of their persistence. Chemicals with Log D  <  -2 had exposure potentials >35% with higher ratios typically achieved for longer half-lives. For Stockholm urban area, 17 of the 54 pharmaceuticals studied had calculated concentrations higher than 10 ng/L. Model agreement with monitored values had an r2= 0.62 for predicted concentrations and an r2= 0.95 for predicted disposed amounts to sea.
ACES - Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE 10691, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: claudia.lindim@aces.su.se.
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Lindim
Deltares, PO Box 177, 2600 MH Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: jos.vanGils@deltares.nl.
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van Gils
ACES - Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE 10691, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ian.cousins@aces.su.se.
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Cousins
Department of Ecological Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: ralph.kuehne@ufz.de.
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Kühne
Laboratory of Mathematical Chemistry, University "Prof. As. Zlatarov", 8010 Bourgas, Bulgaria. Electronic address: denitsa_georgieva@btu.bg.
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Georgieva
Laboratory of Mathematical Chemistry, University "Prof. As. Zlatarov", 8010 Bourgas, Bulgaria. Electronic address: stela_kutsarova@btu.bg.
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Kutsarova
Laboratory of Mathematical Chemistry, University "Prof. As. Zlatarov", 8010 Bourgas, Bulgaria. Electronic address: omekenya@btu.bg.
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Mekenyan
D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013548:Sweden; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D062066:Water Resources
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Baltic sea; Modelling; Pharmaceuticals contamination; STREAM-EU; Swedish rivers