Fate of beta-blocker human pharmaceuticals in surface water: Comparison of measured and simulated concentrations in the Glatt Valley Watershed, Switzerland

Abstract

This study focused on the occurrence and fate of four beta-blockers (atenolol, sotalol, metoprolol, propranolol) in wastewater and surface water. Measured concentrations were compared with predicted concentrations using an implementation of the geo-referenced model GREAT-ER for the Glatt Valley Watershed (Switzerland). Particularly, the question was addressed how measured and simulated data could complement each other for the exposure assessment of human pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants entering surface water through wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Concentrations in the Glatt River ranged from < LOQ to 83 ng L-1 with the highest concentrations found for atenolol. Higher loads were measured on days with combined sewer over-flow events during high flow conditions. GREAT-ER was able to predict spatially resolved river concentrations based, on average consumption and excretion data, removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and dissipation and degradation processes in surface water within a factor of 2. These results indicate that modelling might be sufficient to estimate daily average exposure concentrations for compounds that are either recalcitrant or whose degradation and sorption behaviour can be predicted with confidence based on laboratory experiments. Chemical measurements, in contrast, should be reserved for assessing point sources, investigating mechanisms which lead to short-term temporal fluctuations in compound loads, and deter-mining in-situ degradation rates in conjunction with modelling. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.