Pharmaceuticals in two watersheds in Eastern China and their ecological risks

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology
• Water Quality Management

Background:

• Pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems pose environmental risks.
• Human activities are a primary driver of pharmaceutical pollution.
• Understanding pharmaceutical occurrence and ecological impact is crucial for water management.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the occurrence and ecological risks of 31 pharmaceuticals in two Yangtze River Delta watersheds.
• Assess the influence of human activities on pharmaceutical distribution.
• Provide data for pharmaceutical pollution control and sustainable water management.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed surface water samples for 31 pharmaceuticals across six categories.
• Conducted ecological risk assessment using risk quotients.
• Employed redundancy analysis to correlate pharmaceutical concentrations with land use, population density, and proximity to towns.

Main Results:

• All 31 pharmaceuticals were detected, with dexamethasone, tetracycline, and cefradine being dominant.
• Urban watersheds exhibited significantly higher total pharmaceutical concentrations than peri-urban ones.
• Medium to high ecological risks were identified for several pharmaceuticals, including norethisterone.
• Pharmaceutical concentrations correlated positively with urban/agricultural land use, population density, and distance from towns.

Conclusions:

• Human activities, particularly urban and agricultural practices, are key factors in pharmaceutical pollution.
• Population density is directly linked to increased pharmaceutical concentrations in aquatic environments.
• Findings support targeted pollution control and watershed management strategies.