Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products and associated environmental risks in the central and lower Yangtze river, China.

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) residues are being highlighted around the world as of emerging concern in surface waters. Here the occurrence of PPCPs in the central and lower Yangtze River, along with four large freshwater lakes within the river basin (Dongting, Poyang, Tai, and Chao) was reported. Fifteen out of twenty selected PPCPs were detected in the collected surface water samples.

Transfer of wastewater associated pharmaceuticals and personal care products to crop plants from biosolids treated soil.

The plant uptake of emerging organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is receiving increased attention. Biosolids from municipal wastewater treatment have been previously identified as a major source for PPCPs. Thus, plant uptake of PPCPs from biosolids applied soils needs to be understood.

Reconnaissance of selected PPCP compounds in Costa Rican surface waters.

Eighty-six water samples were collected in early 2009 from Costa Rican surface water and coastal locations for the analysis of 34 pharmaceutical and personal care product compounds (PPCPs). Sampling sites included areas receiving treated and untreated wastewaters, and urban and rural runoff. PPCPs were analyzed using a combination of solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Uptake of pharmaceutical and personal care products by soybean plants from soils applied with biosolids and irrigated with contaminated water.

Many pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are commonly found in biosolids and effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Land application of these biosolids and the reclamation of treated wastewater can transfer those PPCPs into the terrestrial and aquatic environments, giving rise to potential accumulation in plants. In this work, a greenhouse experiment was used to study the uptake of three pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, and fluoxetine) and two personal care products (triclosan and triclocarban) by an agriculturally important species, soybean (Glycine max (L.

Dissipation and leaching potential of selected pharmaceutically active compounds in soils amended with biosolids.

Biosolids land application is an important pathway introducing pharmaceuticals into the environment. In this work, laboratory column and dissipation experiments were performed using soils of varying properties in order to study the fate and transport of pharmaceutical residues introduced by the land application of biosolids. For experimentation, five pharmaceutical compounds (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, fluoxetine, diltiazem, and clindamycin) and two metabolites (carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide and norfluoxetine) commonly found in biosolids were selected.

Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals in an agricultural landscape, western Lake Erie basin.

The occurrence of 18 commonly used pharmaceuticals was investigated in an agricultural area, which is primarily affected by runoff from agricultural fields and septic systems, on the coastline of Maumee Bay, within the western Lake Erie basin. Selected pharmaceuticals were detected in surface water, except clofibric acid and fluoxethine. The most frequently detected compounds were caffeine (88%), carbamazepine (57%) and paraxanthine (56%).

Adsorption and degradation of triclosan and triclocarban in soils and biosolids-amended soils.

Triclosan and triclocarban are antibacterial agents that are widely used in numerous personal care products. Limited information is available on their environmental behavior in soils and soils land applied with wastewaters and biosolids. In this study, laboratory experiments were performed to investigate their adsorption and degradation in soils.

Sorption and biodegradation of selected antibiotics in biosolids.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the sorption and degradation of six antibiotics including Ciprofloxacin (CIP), Tetracycline (TC), Doxycycline (DTC), Sulfamethazine (SMZ), Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and Clindamycin (CLD) in an aerobically digested biosolid. In the sorption experiment, CIP, TC, and DTC sorbed strongly, followed by CLD, while SMZ and SMX were only weakly sorbed to particles. An adsorption/desorption hysteresis was observed for nearly all the antibiotics to some extent.

Mapping the total phosphorus concentration of biosolid amended surface soils using LANDSAT TM data.

Conventional methods for soil sampling and analysis for soil variability in chemical characteristics are too time-consuming and expensive for multi-seasonal monitoring over large-scale areas. Hence, the objectives of this study are: 1) to determine changes in chemical concentrations of soils that are amended with treated sewage sludge; and 2) to determine if LANDSAT TM data can be used to map surface chemical characteristics of such amended soils. For this study, we selected two fields in NW Ohio, designated as F34 and F11, that had been applied with 34 and 11 ton acre(-1) of biosolids, respectively.

Determination of the persistence of pharmaceuticals in biosolids using liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Sludge generated in waste water treatment process can be a major sink for some pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). The land application of sewage sludge (in the form of biosolids in the United States) can therefore potentially introduce PPCPs into the environment. After treatment, biosolids are often subjected to a storage period before land application.

Pharmaceutical compounds in the wastewater process stream in Northwest Ohio.

In order to add to the current state of knowledge regarding occurrence and fate of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCP's) in the environment, influent, effluent and biosolids from three wastewater treatment facilities in Northwest Ohio, USA, and a stream containing effluent discharge from a rural treatment facility were analyzed. The three WWTP facilities vary in size and in community served, but are all Class B facilities. One facility was sampled multiple times in order to assess temporal variability.

PCB contamination in surface sediments in the coastal waters of Costa Rica.

This paper describes the initial investigation of PCB concentrations in four geographical regions (three on the Pacific and one in the Caribbean) of coastal Costa Rica: Bahia Culebra, Golfo Dulce, Golfo de Nicoya, and Limón. Overall total concentrations of PCB were low in all areas except around the port of Golfito (Golfo Dulce). Overall average concentration is 2.

PCB contamination in marine sediments from Golfo Dulce, Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Twenty-nine marine sediment samples collected from 1996 through 2002 from the Golfo Dulce embayment of Costa Rica were analyzed for PCB concentrations. The Esquinas River and Rincon Bay in the northern and western part of the gulf had relatively low overall concentrations of PCBs, with no samples having greater than 2.1 microg/g dw sediment.

PCB concentrations in sediments from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Thirty-one sediment samples collected from 1996-2003 from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary on the northwestern coast of Costa Rica, have been obtained for PCB analyses. This is part of the first study to evaluate the PCB contamination in coastal Costa Rica. Overall, the concentrations are low, especially when compared to sediments from more temperate climates and/or sediments from more heavily industrialized areas.

Assessing potential removal of low-head dams in urban settings: an example from the Ottawa River, NW Ohio.

This is a study of the scientific component of an effort to restore an urban river by removing a low-head dam. The Secor Dam is owned by a local government entity near Toledo, Ohio. The proposed removal of the last structure impeding flow on the Ottawa River has broad appeal, but the owner is concerned about liability issues, particularly potential changes to the flood regime, the presence of contaminated sediments behind the dam, and possible downstream transport of reservoir sediments.