Toxicity and removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products: a laboratory scale study with tropical plants for treatment wetlands

TY - JOUR

T1 - Toxicity and removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products: a laboratory scale study with tropical plants for treatment wetlands

AU - Arredondo, Alexander

AU - Ramirez-Vargas, Carlos A.

AU - Cubillos, Janneth

AU - Arrubla, Juan P.

AU - Morales-Pinzón, Tito

AU - Paredes, Diego

AU - Arias, Carlos Alberto

PY - 2022/4/1

Y1 - 2022/4/1

N2 - The aim of the research was to evaluate the response of three tropical species (Heliconia psittacorum, Ciperus haspan, Hedychium coronarium), respect their tolerance and removal capacity of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), namely acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, methyl hydrojasmonate (cis – MDJM), galaxolide, tonalide, caffeine, naproxen, ketoprofen, and diclofenac. The study was undertaken in two stages (Stage I – Tolerance; Stage II – Removal) of 21 days each. In Stage I, it was found evidence that from 1,000 μg L−1 the plants show decaying responses, being C. haspan and H. psittacorum, the species with the best responses to tolerance and adaptation. The results of Stage II indicated that tonalide and ketoprofen compounds were 99% removed during the first 24 hours of exposure; acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, galaxolide, and naproxen compounds were 80% eliminated, and caffeine and diclofenac products presented lower removal rates during same time. The study allowed the identification of two compound blocks, PPCPs that are sorbed by plants (acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, MDJM, caffeine, galaxolide, and tonalide), and highly photodegradable compounds (ketoprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac). These findings open the possibility for further research about using plants adapted to tropical conditions, for PPCP removal from wastewaters in real scale nature-based systems such as treatment wetlands.

AB - The aim of the research was to evaluate the response of three tropical species (Heliconia psittacorum, Ciperus haspan, Hedychium coronarium), respect their tolerance and removal capacity of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), namely acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, methyl hydrojasmonate (cis – MDJM), galaxolide, tonalide, caffeine, naproxen, ketoprofen, and diclofenac. The study was undertaken in two stages (Stage I – Tolerance; Stage II – Removal) of 21 days each. In Stage I, it was found evidence that from 1,000 μg L−1 the plants show decaying responses, being C. haspan and H. psittacorum, the species with the best responses to tolerance and adaptation. The results of Stage II indicated that tonalide and ketoprofen compounds were 99% removed during the first 24 hours of exposure; acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, galaxolide, and naproxen compounds were 80% eliminated, and caffeine and diclofenac products presented lower removal rates during same time. The study allowed the identification of two compound blocks, PPCPs that are sorbed by plants (acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, MDJM, caffeine, galaxolide, and tonalide), and highly photodegradable compounds (ketoprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac). These findings open the possibility for further research about using plants adapted to tropical conditions, for PPCP removal from wastewaters in real scale nature-based systems such as treatment wetlands.

KW - emerging pollutants

KW - microcontaminants

KW - physiological responses

KW - plant species

KW - removal mechanisms

KW - tolerance

U2 - 10.2166/wst.2022.099

DO - 10.2166/wst.2022.099

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0273-1223

VL - 85

SP - 2240

EP - 2253

JO - Water Science and Technology

JF - Water Science and Technology

IS - 7

ER -