Cited by 41Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental ImpactsEffects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicalsAnalytical chemistry methods development

Markers of anthropogenic contamination: A validated method for quantification of pharmaceuticals, illicit drug metabolites, perfluorinated compounds, and plasticisers in sewage treatment effluent and rain runoff

Wilkinson, John L., Swinden, Julian, Hooda, Peter S., Barker, James, Barton, Stephen·2016·Chemosphere

Abstract

An effective, specific and accurate method is presented for the quantification of 13 markers of anthropogenic contaminants in water using solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Validation was conducted according to the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines. Method recoveries ranged from 77 to 114% and limits of quantification between 0.75 and 4.91 ng/L. A study was undertaken to quantify the concentrations and loadings of the selected contaminants in 6 sewage treatment works (STW) effluent discharges as well as concentrations in 5 rain-driven street runoffs and field drainages. Detection frequencies in STW effluent ranged from 25% (ethinylestradiol) to 100% (benzoylecgonine, bisphenol-A (BPA), bisphenol-S (BPS) and diclofenac). Average concentrations of detected compounds in STW effluents ranged from 3.62 ng/L (ethinylestradiol) to 210 ng/L (BPA). Levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) as well as the plasticiser BPA were found in street runoff at maximum levels of 1160 ng/L, 647 ng/L and 2405 ng/L respectively (8.52, 3.09 and 2.7 times more concentrated than maximum levels in STW effluents respectively). Rain-driven street runoff may have an effect on levels of PFCs and plasticisers in receiving rivers and should be further investigated. Together, this method with the 13 selected contaminants enables the quantification of various markers of anthropogenic pollutants: inter alia pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs and their metabolites from humans and improper disposal of drugs, while the plasticisers and perfluorinated compounds may also indicate contamination from industrial and transport activity (street runoff).

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.06.039

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Authors
Wilkinson, J. L., Swinden, J., Hooda, P. S., Barker, J., & Barton, S.
Affiliations
Kingston University London (GB)
Corresponding author
Wilkinson, John L.
Venue
Chemosphere
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-09
Volume
159
Pages
638-646
ISSN
0045-6535 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2467368080
Cited by
41
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4
FWCI
2.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Chemosphere (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Repository (Kingston University London) (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Kingston University
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Analytical Chemistry › Analytical chemistry methods development
Keywords
anthropogenic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, perfluorinated compounds, plasticizers, sewage treatment effluent, bisphenol A, bisphenol S, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, ethinyl estradiol, benzoylecgonine, diclofenac, solid-phase extraction, HPLC-MS/MS method validation, pollutant load
MeSH terms
Bisphenol A Compounds, Bisphenol S Compounds, Benzhydryl Compounds, Caprylates, Pharmaceutical Preparations, Environmental Monitoring, Fluorocarbons, Phenols, Plasticizers, Rain, Sewage, Illicit Drugs, Sulfones, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Substance Abuse Detection, Rivers, Solid Phase Extraction, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Wastewater

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