Distribution and potential risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) subjected to land function: A case of coastal water source area, China

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) represent emerging contaminants of global concern, yet their distribution in ecologically vulnerable coastal water source areas remains underexplored. This study investigated 29 PPCPs in environment across urban, rural, and reservoir areas within a low-pollution watershed in eastern Guangdong, China. Urban areas exhibited the highest PPCPs concentrations (surface water: 106.92 ng/L; sediment: 185.26 ng/g), followed by rural and reservoir areas. Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones dominated the detected compounds. Statistical analysis revealed strong positive correlations between PPCPs concentrations and both domestic wastewater discharge and GDP, while vegetation coverage showed negative correlations. Ecological risk assessment indicated primarily low to moderate risks, with macrolides presenting the highest potential hazards despite their lower concentrations. These findings emphasize the need for proactive PPCPs management strategies in ecologically important water source areas, even in regions with relatively low pollution levels, to safeguard downstream water security and ecosystem health.