Abstract
In recent years, pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment have attracted much attention in Europe and North America due to their potential to increase antibiotic resistance in microorganisms and their ecological effects on aquatic organisms. Little information, however, has been reported from Japan. In this study, we report on the levels of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments in Japan. A liquid chromatograph coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer was used to detect these compounds. The results showed that certain pharmaceuticals were detected at ng·l-1 level. The concentrations of human pharmaceuticals in rivers located in urban areas were higher than those in suburban areas, while pharmaceuticals mainly used for veterinary medicine were found of higher concentration in suburban areas. Human pharmaceuticals were also detected the sewage treatment plant effluent. In agricultural wastewater, some antibiotics for veterinary use were detected at high concentrations of up to μg·l-1 level, which indicated possible ecological effects in some limited areas.
