First Report On The Occurrence of Pharmaceuticals And Cocaine In The Coastal Waters of Santa Catarina, Brazil, And Its Related Ecological Risk Assessment

Abstract The worldwide occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic ecosystems is reason for concern, since these emerging micro pollutants, includes a large and diverse group of organic compounds, with continuous input, high environmental persistence and potential threat to biota and human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the occurrence of twenty-seven PPCPs of various therapeutic classes (including cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine), in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Water samples were taken in November 2020, during the low tide periods, at eight sampling points located along the coast of Santa Catarina, covering its entire geographical extension. Sampling was carried out in triplicate and at different depths of the water column. Nine compounds were detected through liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS): caffeine (12.58-119.80 ng/L), diclofenac (1.398-7.920 ng/L), losartan (0.432-3.200 ng/L), cocaine (0.0248-0.1686 ng/L) and benzoylecgonine (0.0146-1.094 ng/L) were quantified in 100% of the samples; carbamazepine (0.0242-0.2720 ng/L) was quantified in 75% of the samples; acetaminophen (0.212-10.040 ng/L) was quantified in 60% of the samples; and both atenolol (1.13-2.50 ng/L) and orphenadrine (0.073-0.0886 ng/L) were quantified in 25% of the samples. The other PPCPs were below the limit of detection (LOD). The highest occurrence of these compounds was detected in the northern and central coastal region of Santa Catarina, namely in Penha and Palhoça cities. The sources of these compounds may be associated with areas with high population density, awaited by tourism, with consequent production of sanitary sewage and solid waste. The ecological risk assessment of these substances in the aquatic ecosystems showed that 67% and 77% of the compounds respectively presented no ecological risk, acute and chronic, but 44% presented low to moderate risks for acute and chronic effects in the three trophic levels evaluated. The occurrence of these chemical compounds can imply deleterious effects on the environmental health of Santa Catarina coastal zone, and therefore deserve more acute and directed attention.