Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary
The tidal freshwater Potomac River (TFPR) in the metropolitan Washington, DC region receives wastewater discharge from eight major wastewater treatment plants with the potential to impact water quality. A total of 85 pharmaceutical chemicals and personal care products (PPCPs) were analyzed in surfac...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/11/702 |
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| author | Gregory Foster Arion Leahigh Thomas Huff |
| author_facet | Gregory Foster Arion Leahigh Thomas Huff |
| author_sort | Gregory Foster |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The tidal freshwater Potomac River (TFPR) in the metropolitan Washington, DC region receives wastewater discharge from eight major wastewater treatment plants with the potential to impact water quality. A total of 85 pharmaceutical chemicals and personal care products (PPCPs) were analyzed in surface water and sediments using solid-phase extraction and QuEChERS, respectively, in conjunction with liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry-multiple reaction monitoring quantitation (LC-MS/MS-MRM). A total of 52 PPCPs were quantified in both surface water and sediment. The most frequently quantified PPCPs in water included caffeine, fexofenadine, nicotine, sulfamethoxazole, hydrochlorothiazide, MDA, desvenlafaxine, and metoprolol ranging from 10 to 360 ng/L, and in sediment included diphenhydramine, escitalopram, desvenlafaxine, fexofenadine, sertraline and triclocarban ranging from 20 to 120 ng/g (dry weight). Comparisons of PPCP constituents in WTP discharge and adjacent surface water showed altered compositions reflecting dispersal and transformation processes acted quickly following contact of effluent with surface water. Although the PPCPs were present at their greatest concentrations in surface water near the WTP discharge zones, PPCP concentrations rapidly attenuated yielding mainstem TFPR concentrations relatively consistent along the freshwater reach of the tidal range in the estuary. The PPCP concentrations in sediment maximized in the tributary shoals, but also decreased in the mainstem TFPR similarly to surface water. Compositional analysis showed sorption to geosolids was the most important factor in the loss of PPCPs following WTP discharge in the tributary embayments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:57:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cfb8b0c7eb684e30a761a650484fdd4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:57:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-cfb8b0c7eb684e30a761a650484fdd4c2023-11-24T10:14:57ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042022-11-01101170210.3390/toxics10110702Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater EstuaryGregory Foster0Arion Leahigh1Thomas Huff2Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Potomac Environmental Education and Research Center at the Potomac Science Center, George Mason University, Woodbridge, VA 22191, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Potomac Environmental Education and Research Center at the Potomac Science Center, George Mason University, Woodbridge, VA 22191, USAShared Research Instrumentation Facility, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USAThe tidal freshwater Potomac River (TFPR) in the metropolitan Washington, DC region receives wastewater discharge from eight major wastewater treatment plants with the potential to impact water quality. A total of 85 pharmaceutical chemicals and personal care products (PPCPs) were analyzed in surface water and sediments using solid-phase extraction and QuEChERS, respectively, in conjunction with liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry-multiple reaction monitoring quantitation (LC-MS/MS-MRM). A total of 52 PPCPs were quantified in both surface water and sediment. The most frequently quantified PPCPs in water included caffeine, fexofenadine, nicotine, sulfamethoxazole, hydrochlorothiazide, MDA, desvenlafaxine, and metoprolol ranging from 10 to 360 ng/L, and in sediment included diphenhydramine, escitalopram, desvenlafaxine, fexofenadine, sertraline and triclocarban ranging from 20 to 120 ng/g (dry weight). Comparisons of PPCP constituents in WTP discharge and adjacent surface water showed altered compositions reflecting dispersal and transformation processes acted quickly following contact of effluent with surface water. Although the PPCPs were present at their greatest concentrations in surface water near the WTP discharge zones, PPCP concentrations rapidly attenuated yielding mainstem TFPR concentrations relatively consistent along the freshwater reach of the tidal range in the estuary. The PPCP concentrations in sediment maximized in the tributary shoals, but also decreased in the mainstem TFPR similarly to surface water. Compositional analysis showed sorption to geosolids was the most important factor in the loss of PPCPs following WTP discharge in the tributary embayments.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/11/702PPCPswastewater dischargetidal freshwater potomac riversedimentscompositional alteration |
| spellingShingle | Gregory Foster Arion Leahigh Thomas Huff Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary Toxics PPCPs wastewater discharge tidal freshwater potomac river sediments compositional alteration |
| title | Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary |
| title_full | Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary |
| title_fullStr | Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary |
| title_short | Surface Water Processes Influencing Alterations in Pharmaceutical Chemical Composition following Wastewater Discharge into a Freshwater Estuary |
| title_sort | surface water processes influencing alterations in pharmaceutical chemical composition following wastewater discharge into a freshwater estuary |
| topic | PPCPs wastewater discharge tidal freshwater potomac river sediments compositional alteration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/11/702 |
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