Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Flow rate
(m
3
/sec)
Carbamazepine
(ng/L)
Flow rate
(m
3
/sec)
Diclofenac
(ng/L)
200
100
10000
10000
80
160
8000
60
8000
120
40
6000
6000
80
20
4000
40
0
4000
2000
2000
0
0
6-Dec-99
5-Dec-01
5-Dec-03
4-Dec-05
6-Dec-99
5-Dec-01
5-Dec-03
4-Dec-05
Date
Date
Bezafibrate
(ng/L)
Flow rate
(m
3
/sec)
Iopromide
(ng/L)
Flow rate
(m
3
/sec)
800
160
10000
10000
600
120
8000
8000
400
80
6000
6000
200
40
4000
0
4000
0
2000
2000
0
0
5-Dec-02 5-Dec-03 4-Dec-04
5-Dec-02
5-Dec-03
4-Dec-04
Date
Date
Fig. 5
Flow rate and concentrations of carbamazepine, diclofenac, iopromide, and bezafibrate
versus time in the Rhine near Lobith
carbamazepine, and sotalol were present (concentrations > LOD) at almost all
sampled locations.
A nonsignificant relation was found between the flow rate and the concentrations
of carbamazepine, diclofenac, iopromide, and bezafibrate in the river Rhine near
Lobith for the period 2001-2005 (Fig. 5). This suggests that other important varia-
bles exist that influence pharmaceutical concentrations in surface water. These
variables probably constitute the application period and amounts of pharmaceuticals
discharged to the environment. Pharmaceuticals are, in contrast to some other
chemical substances (e.g., nitrate and phosphate), discharged throughout the yr.
However, discharge of some pharmaceuticals (e.g., analgesics) is higher during win-
ter than in summer. This may explain the lack of a relationship between flow rate
and diclofenac concentrations in surface waters near Lobith.
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