State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, School of Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
Environ Sci Technol. 2022 Feb 15;56(4):2312-2322. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05520. Epub 2022 Feb 7.
The residues of pharmaceuticals in surface waters of megacities and ecotoxicological implications are of particular concern. In this study, we combined field investigations and model simulations to explore the contamination of cardiovascular and lipid-lowering drugs, one group of the most prescribed medications globally, in surface waters of a typical megacity, Shanghai, with a high wastewater treatment ratio (≈96%). Among 26 target substances, 19 drugs were detected with aqueous concentrations ranging from 0.2 (ketanserin) to 715 ng/L (telmisartan). Of them, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, telmisartan and irbesartan, were dominant besides β-blockers. Spatial distribution analysis demonstrated their much higher levels in tributaries compared to the mainstream. The results of model simulations and field investigation revealed relatively low concentrations of cardiovascular and lipid-lowering drugs in surface waters of Shanghai compared to other cities in highly developed countries, which is associated with low per capita usage in China. Ecotoxicological studies in zebrafish embryos further revealed developmental effects, including altered hatching success and heart rate, by irbesartan, telmisartan, lidocaine, and their mixtures at ng/L concentrations, which are typical levels in surface waters. Overall, the present results suggest that the high wastewater treatment ratio was not sufficient to protect fish species in the aquatic ecosystem of Shanghai. Exposure to cardiovascular and lipid-lowering drugs and associated risks will further increase in the future due to healthcare improvements and population aging.
在特大城市的地表水中，药物残留及其生态毒理学影响尤其值得关注。本研究结合野外调查和模型模拟，探讨了心血管和降血脂药物（一类全球范围内使用最广泛的处方药物）在污水处理率较高（约 96%）的特大城市——上海的地表水中的污染情况。在所检测的 26 种目标物质中，有 19 种药物被检出，其在水中的浓度范围为 0.2（酮色林）至 715ng/L（替米沙坦）。其中，血管紧张素 II 受体拮抗剂替米沙坦和厄贝沙坦，以及β受体阻滞剂，是除β受体阻滞剂之外的主要药物。空间分布分析表明，它们在支流中的浓度明显高于主流。模型模拟和野外调查的结果表明，与高度发达的国家的其他城市相比，上海地表水中的心血管和降血脂药物浓度相对较低，这与中国的人均用量较低有关。在斑马鱼胚胎中的生态毒理学研究进一步表明，替米沙坦、厄贝沙坦、利多卡因及其混合物在纳克/升浓度下，会对胚胎孵化成功率和心率产生发育影响，这一浓度在地表水中较为典型。总的来说，本研究结果表明，高污水处理率不足以保护上海水生态系统中的鱼类物种。随着医疗保健的改善和人口老龄化，未来接触心血管和降血脂药物及其相关风险将进一步增加。
