|
(40-08) Fate and distribution of selected pharmaceuticals in water/sediment test systems. Löffler, Dirk*,1, Meller, Michael2, Römbke, Jörg2, Ternes, Thomas1, 1 ESWE-Institute for water research and water technology, Wiesbaden, Germany2 ECT - Ecotoxicology GmbH, Flörsheim, Germany ABSTRACT- Pharmaceuticals were not considered to be an ecotoxicological problem until the early 90′s. Since then the environmental risk caused by pharmaceuticals, in general, was re-evaluated, mainly because an ever increasing number of drugs were detected in the environment. Various pharmaceuticals are present in concentrations of the low Key words: Pharmaceuticals, Water, Sediment, Fate |
g/L range in sewage treatment plant effluents and up to the high ng/L range in river water. However, for many pharmaceuticals little data is available on environmental fate and effects in the literature. Hence, the current study is aimed to improve the situation by testing selected drugs to consider their degradation and metabolism in water/sediment systems and to obtain first results about their persistence in surface waters. Pharmaceuticals from various medical and chemical classes with different physico-chemical properties are currently studied in a water/sediment system according to OECD (Guideline Draft 308, 2000). The test systems consisted of native sediment in an aerobic state and creek water in glass flasks coupled to CO2-traps. Sampling of water, sediment and CO2-traps took place 9 times during the 100 d test period. Tests with several pharmaceuticals (4-acetaminophen, carbamazepine, clofibric acid, diazepam, iopromide, ibuprofen) and some major metabolites were performed and data on their fate, distribution and persistence will be shown. Results from experiments with 14C-labelled iopromide indicate the slow dissipation of the contrast agent and its metabolites from the water phase, while data from experiments with the tranquillizer diazepam and the antiphlogistic ibuprofen indicate faster passage from the water phase into the sediment.