PARENT SESSION

(03-02) Pharmaceuticals in ground and surface waters - Results of a research project in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.

Sacher, Frank^*,1, Metzinger, Melanie¹, Wenz, Michael¹, Gabriel, Sabine¹, Lange, Frank¹, Brauch, Heinz-Juergen¹, Blankenhorn, Iris², Lehmann, Markus², ¹ DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruher Strasse 84, D-76139 Karlsruhe, Germany, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg² Landesanstalt fuer Umweltschutz, Griesbachstrasse 1-3, D-76185 Karlsruhe, Germany, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg

ABSTRACT- Initiated and financially supported by the Federal Ministry for Environment and Transport in Baden-Wuerttemberg a research project was performed in the years 2000 to 2002 aiming at the systematic investigation of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting chemicals in surface and ground waters of Baden-Wuerttemberg in the south-west of Germany. During an extensive monitoring program it was found that out of a list of 74 target compounds a lot of pharmaceuticals could be found both, in surface and in ground waters. The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in surface waters was systematically investigated e.g. in rivers Rhine, Neckar and Danube, whereby seasonal changes of concentration levels were studied as well as spatial distributions in order to identify major sources. In addition to this, the distribution of pharmaceuticals between the aqueous phase and suspended matter was determined. It was found that due to their high polarity the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in solid matter is only of limited relevance. Looking at the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in ground waters samples from 105 monitoring wells were taken and analysed for the 74 target compounds. It was found that in about one third of all ground water samples under investigation pharmaceuticals could be found. Main compounds were the same as for surface waters, i.e. betablockers, antiphlogistics, antiepileptics, iodinated x-ray contrast media, and antibiotics. In most cases the concentration levels of the pharmaceuticals correlate very well to the concentration of sewage markers like boron, indicating that sewage is the main source of these compounds in ground waters as well as in surface waters.

Key words: pharmaceuticals, monitoring program, surface water, ground water