U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
Water Res. 2018 Jun 15;137:335-343. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.12.044. Epub 2017 Dec 22.
The widespread use of pharmaceuticals by human populations results in their sustained discharge to surface waters via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals were quantified along a 250 km transect of the Hudson River Estuary and New York Harbor to describe their sources and spatial patterns. Sampling was conducted over two dry weather periods in May and July 2016, at 72 sites which included mid-channel and nearshore sites, as well as locations influenced by tributaries and WWTP outfalls. The detection frequency of the study pharmaceuticals was almost identical between the May and July sampling periods at 55% and 52%, respectively. Six pharmaceuticals were measurable at 92% or more of the sites during both sampling periods, illustrating their ubiquitous presence throughout the study area. Individual pharmaceutical concentrations were highly variable spatially, ranging from non-detect to 3810 ng/L during the study. Major factors controlling concentrations were proximity and magnitude of WWTP discharges, inputs from tributaries and tidal mixing. Two compounds, sucralose and caffeine, were evaluated as tracers to identify wastewater sources and assess pharmaceutical behavior. Sucralose was useful in identifying wastewater inputs to the river and concentrations showed excellent correlations with numerous pharmaceuticals in the study. Caffeine-sucralose ratios showed potential in identifying discharges of untreated wastewater occurring during a combined sewage overflow event. Many of the study pharmaceuticals were present throughout the Hudson River Estuary as a consequence of sustained wastewater discharge. Whereas some concentrations were above published effects levels, a more complete risk assessment is needed to understand the potential for ecological impacts due to pharmaceuticals in the Hudson River Estuary.
人类群体广泛使用药品，导致这些药品通过废水处理厂（WWTP）持续排放到地表水中。在这项研究中，沿着哈德逊河口和纽约港的 250 公里的横断面，定量分析了 16 种高处方药物，以描述它们的来源和空间分布。采样在 2016 年 5 月和 7 月的两个干燥天气期间进行，在 72 个地点进行，包括中水道和近岸地点，以及受支流和 WWTP 出水口影响的地点。研究药物的检出频率在 5 月和 7 月采样期间分别为 55%和 52%，几乎相同。在两个采样期间，有 6 种药物可在 92%或更多的地点测量到，这表明它们在整个研究区域内普遍存在。单个药物浓度在空间上高度可变，在研究期间从不可检测到 3810ng/L 不等。控制浓度的主要因素是 WWTP 排放的接近度和规模、支流的输入和潮汐混合。两种化合物，三氯蔗糖和咖啡因，被评估为示踪剂，以识别废水来源和评估药物行为。三氯蔗糖可用于识别河流中的废水输入，其浓度与研究中的许多药物表现出良好的相关性。咖啡因-三氯蔗糖比值显示出在识别发生合流污水溢流事件期间未经处理的废水排放的潜力。由于持续的废水排放，许多研究药物存在于整个哈德逊河口。虽然一些浓度高于已公布的影响水平，但需要更全面的风险评估，以了解哈德逊河口药物对生态的潜在影响。
