[Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Ecological Risks of Typical Drugs in the Yongjiang River Basin]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology
• River Basin Management

Context:

• Widespread drug use leads to environmental contamination, posing risks to aquatic ecosystems.
• Urban rivers are increasingly recognized as pathways for pharmaceutical pollutants.
• Understanding drug occurrence and fate in river systems is crucial for ecological protection.

Purpose:

• To investigate the occurrence, spatial distribution, and ecological risks of 40 target drugs in the Yongjiang River's water and sediment.
• To identify the sources of pharmaceutical pollution in the river basin.
• To analyze the distribution mechanisms of drugs between water and sediment.

Summary:

• 22 drugs detected in water (55%) and 12 in sediment (30%), with metabolic drugs dominating water and antibiotics/cardiovascular drugs dominating sediment.
• Principal Component Analysis identified four main pollution sources: medical, domestic/aquaculture, rural domestic, and agricultural non-point sources.
• High cumulative ecological risks were found in water samples, while sediment posed low to no risk, with specific drugs like carbamazepine identified as risks.

Impact:

• Provides a technical basis for preventing and controlling pharmaceutical pollution in urban rivers.
• Highlights the significant ecological risks posed by pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments.
• Informs environmental management strategies for mitigating drug contamination in river basins.