Do concentrations of ethinylestradiol, estradiol and diclofenac in European rivers exceed proposed EU environmental quality standards?

Johnson, Andrew C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1570-3764; Dumont, Egon; Williams, Richard J.; Oldenkamp, Rik; Cisowska, Iwona; Sumpter, John P.. 2013 Do concentrations of ethinylestradiol, estradiol and diclofenac in European rivers exceed proposed EU environmental quality standards? Environmental Science & Technology, 47 (21). 12297-12304. https://doi.org/10.1021/es4030035

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Official URL: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es4030035

Abstract/Summary

This study used a geographic based water model to predict the environmental concentrations of three pharmaceuticals, 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17β-estradiol (E2), and diclofenac throughout European rivers. The work was prompted by the proposal of the European Community (COM(2011)876) to consider these chemicals as candidates for future control via environmental quality standards (EQS). National drug consumption information, excretion, national water use, and sewage removal rates, were used to derive per capita sewage effluent values for the European countries . For E2, excretion rates of the natural hormone and national demographics were also included. Incorporating this information into the GWAVA model allowed water concentrations throughout Europe’s rivers to be predicted. The mean concentration from the expected sewage discharge scenario indicated that 12% by length of Europe’s rivers would reach concentrations greater than the proposed 0.035 ng/L EQS for EE2. For several countries, between a quarter and a third of their total river length would fail such an EE2 EQS. For E2, just over 1% by length of rivers would reach concentrations greater than the 0.4 ng/L proposed EQS, while just over 2% by length of rivers would reach concentrations greater than the proposed EQS of 100 ng/L for diclofenac.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1021/es4030035
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 3 - Managing Threats to Environment and Health > BGC - 3.1 - Develop temporally and spatially explicit risk assessment tools ... CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.1 - Identify and quantify sources, fluxes and pathways of water, chemicals ...
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Boorman (to September 2014) Reynard
ISSN:	0013-936X
Additional Keywords:	ethinylestradiol, estradiol, diclofenac, river water, model, prediction, environmental quality standard, Europe
NORA Subject Terms:	Hydrology Chemistry
Date made live:	13 Nov 2013 12:54 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/503779

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1021/es4030035

Programmes:

CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 3 - Managing Threats to Environment and Health > BGC - 3.1 - Develop temporally and spatially explicit risk assessment tools ...
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.1 - Identify and quantify sources, fluxes and pathways of water, chemicals ...

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Boorman (to September 2014)
Reynard

ISSN:

0013-936X

Additional Keywords:

ethinylestradiol, estradiol, diclofenac, river water, model, prediction, environmental quality standard, Europe