Environmental risk assessment of diclofenac residues in surface waters and wastewater: a hidden global threat to aquatic ecosystem

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2020-04, Vol.192 (4), p.204-204, Article 204
• Main Authors: Hanif, Hafsa, Waseem, Amir, Kali, Sundas, Qureshi, Naveeda Akhtar, Majid, Muhammad, Iqbal, Mazhar, Ur-Rehman, Tofeeq, Tahir, Muhammad, Yousaf, Sohail, Iqbal, Muhammad Mazhar, Khan, Imtiaz Ahmad, Zafar, Mazhar Iqbal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural wastes; Anti-inflammatory agents; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic environment; Aquatic organisms; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Chemical compounds; Chemical properties; Chemicophysical properties; Chromatography; Cities; Dairy farms; Diclofenac; Diclofenac - analysis; Drugs; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecological effects; Ecological risk assessment; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental assessment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental risk; Environmental science; Hazardous areas; High performance liquid chromatography; Hospital wastes; HPLC; Industrial areas; Inflammation; Liquid chromatography; Medical wastes; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Organic chemistry; Pakistan; Pharmaceutical Preparations - analysis; Risk Assessment; Rivers; Solid phases; Surface water; Waste Water; Wastewater; Water analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water sampling
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8151-3

Pharmaceuticals are chemical compounds employed as medicinal drugs. They have severe physic-chemical properties which make them destructive for non-target species. Consequently, their continuous addition in the environment may pose hazardous effects. Among these, diclofenac (DCF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is extensively used in Pakistan which may lead to its accumulation in both terrestrial and aquatic environment. Present study aims to assess the presence and concentration of pharmaceutically active drug (DCF) in surface water and wastewater of twin cities of Pakistan (Rawalpindi and Islamabad). For this purpose, a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was adopted involving solid-phase extraction procedure. Wastewater samples were collected from various sites of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Results of HPLC analysis revealed that DCF was extant with considerably high concentration, not only in wastewater but also in surface water samples. Concentrations as high as 216 μg L −1 was detected in Rawat industrial area and low as 8 μg L −1 was detected in dairy farm wastewater samples collected from Taramri. However, maximum DCF levels in residential wastewater and hospital wastewater were detected to be 105 μg L −1 and 34 μg L −1 , respectively. Moreover, the highest detected level (116 μg L −1 ) was found in surface water of Sawan River. Further, results of ecological risk assessment revealed its possible toxic effects of DCF on various aquatic organisms.