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Pharmaceuticals in Coastal Waters Study
Use of prescription drugs in the U.S. is estimated to be on the order of 1 million kg/year. Excretion or disposal of these chemicals, followed by incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants can result in their discharge to surface waters. There is concern that some of these biologically active compounds could impact the aquatic ecosystem. Recently, a pilot project involving NOAA, USGS and the University of Maryland has begun to investigate the presence of selected prescription and nonprescription pharmaceutical compounds in coastal waters.
In 2002, a limited survey was conducted adjacent to selected wastewater treatment facilities in the Chesapeake Bay. Extraction of the water samples was done at the University of Maryland, and the USGS in Denver analyzed the extracts. Thirteen of 24 compounds looked for were found in the samples. They included three antibiotics, two antidepressants, a couple of blood pressure/anginal medications and two analgesics/antipyretics.
Also found in the samples were caffeine, along with a nicotine metabolite. At two of the wastewater treatment facilities (Back River and Patapsco), NCCOS scientists sampled at the outfall as well as downstream, and perhaps not surprisingly, there was a general declining trend in the concentration of pharmaceuticals with distance from the facility.
However, there were still a few detections of pharmaceuticals even 10 kilometers downstream. The effect of the concentrations (low part per billion) found on aquatic organisms is unknown. Follow-up work is being considered, and a report from the sampling effort is in preparation.
| Compound | Use |
|---|---|
Metformin |
Antidiabetic |
Cotinine |
Nicotine metabolite |
Salbutamol |
Antiasthmatic |
Cimetidine |
Antacid |
Acetaminophen |
Analgesic (relive pain), antipyretic (lowers fever) |
Ranitidine |
Antacid |
1,7-dimethylxanthine |
Caffeine metabolite |
Trimethoprim |
Antibiotic |
Diltiazem |
Calcium-channel blocker, for chest pain and blood pressure control |
Fluoxetine |
Antidepressant |
Warfarin |
Anticoagulant |
Ibuprofen |
Antiinflammatory |
Gemfibrozil |
Antihyperlipidemic |
Paroxetine (metabolite) |
Antidepressant |
Caffeine |
Stimulant |
Sulfamethoxazole |
Antibiotic |
Dehydronifedipine |
Blood pressure control and for chest pain (degradation product of nifedipine) |
Codeine |
Analgesic |
Thiabendazole |
Hook worm treatment |
Diphenhydramine |
Antihistamine |
Azithromycin |
Antibiotic |
Erythromycin |
Antibiotic |
Carbamazapine |
Psychiatric disorders, drug and alcohol withdrawal |
Project Partners
U.S. Geological Survey
University of Maryland