Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products and Plasticizers in Surface Water and Environmental Risk Assessment: Guandu River Basin, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil

The presence in surface water of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and plasticizers, including endocrine disruptors (EDs), is considered a relevant issue worldwide, since such compounds are potentially dangerous for human health and the environment. In this investigation, nine CECs (Benzophenone, Bisphenol A, Diethylphthalate, 4-Nonylfenol, Diazepam, Bromazepam, Clonazepam, Ibuprofen and Trimethoprim) have been monitored monthly in surface water of the Guandu river, which is the main source for one of the largest water treatment plants in the world (Guandu WTP) that supplies water for 9 million inhabitants living in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The CECs concentrations ranged from below the limit of quantification (< LOQ) up to 7,570 ng L⁻¹. The occurrence of these CECs in aqueous environmental matrices is likely to be related to the low percentage of sewage collection and treatment in the drainage basin, in addition to the limited capacity of conventional sewage treatment plants for the removal of CECs. Based on environmental risk assessment, Bisphenol A and Diazepam pose environmental risks (RQ ≥ 1) to the aquatic ecosystem.