An integrative water quality evaluation in two surface water bodies from a tropical agricultural region in Cartago, Costa Rica.

A monitoring study was carried out in two micro-catchments in the Reventazón basin, in Northern Cartago, Costa Rica; pesticide occurrence and water quality were analyzed. Twelve pesticides were detected, five insecticides (chlorpyrifos, carbofuran, cypermethrin, imidacloprid, and oxamyl), four fungicides (carbendazim, imazalil, metalaxyl, and thiabendazole), and three herbicides (diuron, linuron, and terbutryn); eight of them presented risk quotients RQ >1, which implies a high risk for the environment. The water quality evaluation included fourteen physicochemical and microbiological parameters, out of which thermotolerant coliforms, nitrate, and total phosphorus exceeded a selected threshold value in every sample.

Pharmaceuticals in farms and surrounding surface water bodies: Hazard and ecotoxicity in a swine production area in Costa Rica.

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is known to have multiple origins; livestock activities comprise one scarcely studied source, both globally and specially in Latin-America. This work aims to study the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater from swine farms and their surrounding surface waters, in a highland livestock production area of Costa Rica. The monitoring of 70 pharmaceutical active compounds resulted in the detection of 10 molecules in farm wastewater (influents and effluents of the on-farm treatment system), including compounds of animal and human use.

Pesticide occurrence and water quality assessment from an agriculturally influenced Latin-American tropical region.

A monitoring study was carried out in three agriculturally influenced microcatchments in Costa Rica during 2012-2014, for pesticides and water quality parameters. A total of 42 pesticides were analyzed, detecting the following in water samples: two herbicides (oxyfluorfen, diuron), four insecticides (carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, oxamyl, ethion), and two fungicides (thiabendazole, carbendazim); while in sediment samples only the insecticides, chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin were found. Water quality was also assessed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index and the National Sanitation Water Quality Index, the first one classified most of the sampling point as marginal and poor quality while the second one classified most of them as good quality, the most affected parameters were nitrate, phosphorous, suspended solids and organic matter content.

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals, hazard assessment and ecotoxicological evaluation of wastewater treatment plants in Costa Rica.

The continuous release of pharmaceuticals from WWTP effluents to freshwater is a matter of concern, due to their potential effects on non-target organisms. The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in WWTPs and their associated hazard have been scarcely studied in Latin American countries. This study aimed at monitoring for the first time the occurrence of 70 pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) in WWTPs across Costa Rica; the application of the hazard quotient (HQ) approach coupled to ecotoxicological determinations permitted to identify the hazard posed by specific pharmaceuticals and toxicity of the effluents, respectively.