Han River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, 42, Dumulmeori-gil 68beon-gil, Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do 12585, Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 28;18(15):7969. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18157969.
Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals are being increasingly used for disease treatment; hence, their distribution and factors influencing them in the aquatic environment need to be investigated. This study observed the effect of human and animal populations, usage, purchasing criteria (prescription vs. non-prescription), and land use to identify the spatio-temporal distribution of eight pharmaceuticals at twenty-four sites of the tributaries of the Han River watershed. In rural areas, the mean concentration (detection frequency) of non-prescription pharmaceuticals (NPPs) was higher (lower) compared to that of prescription pharmaceuticals (PPs); in urban areas, a reverse trend was observed. Pharmaceutical concentrations in urban and rural areas were mainly affected by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and non-point sources, respectively; concentrations were higher downstream (4.9 times) than upstream of the WWTPs. The concentration distribution (according to the target) was as follows: human-veterinary > human > veterinary. Correlation between total concentration and total usage of the pharmaceuticals was high, except for NPPs. Most livestock and land use (except cropland) were significantly positively correlated with pharmaceutical concentrations. Concentrations were mainly higher (1.5 times) during cold seasons than during warm seasons. The results of this study can assist policymakers in managing pharmaceutical pollutants while prioritizing emerging pollutants.
人类和兽医药品越来越多地用于疾病治疗；因此，需要调查它们在水生环境中的分布和影响它们的因素。本研究观察了人口和动物数量、使用情况、购买标准（处方与非处方）以及土地利用对汉江水系支流 24 个地点的八种药品的时空分布的影响。在农村地区，非处方药品（NPPs）的平均浓度（检出频率）高于处方药品（PPs）；在城市地区，观察到相反的趋势。城市和农村地区的药物浓度主要受污水处理厂（WWTP）和非点源的影响；在 WWTP 的下游浓度（4.9 倍）高于上游。根据目标，浓度分布如下：人用-兽用 > 人用 > 兽用。除 NPPs 外，药物总浓度与总用量之间具有高度相关性。大多数牲畜和土地利用（除耕地外）与药物浓度呈显著正相关。浓度在寒冷季节（1.5 倍）高于温暖季节。本研究的结果可以帮助决策者在管理药物污染物的同时，优先考虑新兴污染物。
