Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
ScientificWorldJournal. 2024 Oct 28;2024:5538398. doi: 10.1155/2024/5538398. eCollection 2024.
The disposal of pharmaceutical wastewater has gained increasing attention due to its potential adverse effects on the environment and public health. This study aims to assess the concentration of pharmaceutical contaminants and their toxicity to aquatic organisms. A qualitative research approach was used. Composite samples were collected from the effluent storage system. Various analytical techniques, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were employed to detect and quantify pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater samples. The results revealed various pharmaceutical compounds (ibuprofen 28 g/L, diclofenac 27.20 g/L, paracetamol 22.03 g/L, and tramadol <0.01 g/L) in the wastewater. The maximal environmental concentration (MEC) for all the detected pharmaceuticals was high; hence, the risk quotients (RQs) indicated potential toxicity (RO > 1). It further indicates that the effluent was more toxic to animals (daphnia and fish) than algae (plants). It can be concluded that pharmaceutical effluent was toxic to aquatic organisms. Therefore, there is a need to implement stringent regulatory measures to mitigate untreated pharmaceutical effluent in water bodies. Addressing pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater is crucial to safeguarding the environment and public health in an increasing pharmaceutical use and production era.
由于医药废水可能对环境和公众健康造成潜在影响，因此越来越受到关注。本研究旨在评估医药污染物的浓度及其对水生生物的毒性。采用定性研究方法。从废水储存系统中采集混合水样。采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）等多种分析技术检测和定量废水中的药物化合物。结果表明废水中存在多种药物化合物（布洛芬 28g/L、双氯芬酸 27.20g/L、扑热息痛 22.03g/L、曲马多 <0.01g/L）。所有检出药物的最大环境浓度（MEC）均较高；因此，风险商（RO>1）表明存在潜在毒性。这进一步表明废水对动物（水蚤和鱼类）的毒性大于对藻类（植物）的毒性。可以得出结论，医药废水对水生生物具有毒性。因此，需要采取严格的监管措施来减少水体中未经处理的医药废水。解决废水中的医药污染物对于在医药使用和生产日益增加的时代保护环境和公众健康至关重要。
