Gone with the flow - Assessment of personal care products in Portuguese rivers

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Vera Homem (Author) FEUP; Maria Llompart (Author) Other; Marlene Vila (Author) Other; Ana Rita L. Ribeiro (Author) FEUP; Carmen Garcia-Jares (Author) Other; Nuno Ratola (Author) FEUP; Maria Celeiro (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Chemosphere

Vol. 293

Pages: 1-13

ISSN: 0045-6535

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Associated Projects

Healthy Waters - Healthy Waters - Identification, Elimination, Social Awareness and Education of Water Chemical and Biological Micropollutants with Health and Environmental Implications

LEPABE - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 da Unidade de I&D LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00W-056

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133552

Abstract (EN): Although there are several works in the literature that study the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface waters, the vast majority focus their attention on pharmaceuticals and little information is found about personal care products (PCPs). Therefore, this study focused, for the first time, on the monitoring of five classes of PCPs - fragrance allergens, synthetic musks, phthalates, antioxidants, and ultraviolet-filters-in the surface water of four small-size typically pollution-impacted Portuguese rivers (Ave, Leca, Antua tilde and Ce acute accent rtima). A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography -tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) protocol was employed to analyse surface water samples collected in two seasonal campaigns -summer and winter (34 samples per season). A total of 22 out of 37 target PCPs were detected concomitantly at least once in one sampling point, being the most frequently detected alpha-isomethyl ionone, galaxolide, tonalide and cashmeran. The highest concentrations were confirmed for diethylhexyl phthalate (610.6 ng L-1), galaxolide (379.2 ng L-1), geraniol (290.9 ng L-1), linalool (271.2 ng L-1), benzophenone-3 (254.1 ng L-1) and citronellol (200.2 ng L-1). Leca River, traversing the more densely urban and industrialized area, had the highest levels of contaminants, which were also found in the sampling points located downstream of wastewater treatment plants discharge points. In general, higher levels were detected in summer, when the river flows are lower. Hazard quotients were determined and octocrylene, tonalide, and geraniol presented values above 1 in some sampling sites, which may indicate an ecotoxicological risk to the aquatic environment. The results presented suggest that these three PCPs should be included as priority pollutants in environmental monitoring schemes in surface waters, due to their high detection, persistence, and potential adverse effects.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13