Screening of pharmaceuticals in coastal waters of the southern coast of Viti Levu in Fiji, South Pacific

Dehm, Jasha and Singh, Shubha S. and Ferreira, Marta and Piovano, Susanna and Fick, Jerker (2021) Screening of pharmaceuticals in coastal waters of the southern coast of Viti Levu in Fiji, South Pacific. Chemosphere, 276 . NA. ISSN 0045-6535

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Abstract

The global reliance on pharmaceuticals coupled with the lack of effective treatment methods has resulted in pseudo-persistence of pharmaceuticals within the environment. Globally, efforts to quantify and monitor pharmaceuticals within the environment have been well underway, however few studies have been made within small Pacific Islands. This study aims at screening for the occurrence and concentration of pharmaceutical residues within the southern coastal waters of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. Water samples were collected from a depth of ca. 0.6 m from seven sites and were analyzed for 80 pharmaceuticals via a combination of chromatography and heated electrospray ionization. Seventy-two pharmaceuticals were quantified at least once with average concentrations ranging between 0.04 ng/L (diltiazem) and 19 ng/L (ketoconazole), and with all but two pharmaceuticals (trimethoprim and biperiden) being present in less than 50% of the samples. Findings suggest that even though the release of pharmaceuticals into the marine environment is sporadic and pharmaceuticals are diluted via turbulent mixing, there are measurable concentrations of pharmaceuticals in Fiji and these pollutants are not necessarily restricted to highly populated areas.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GC Oceanography R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Divisions:	School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS)
Depositing User:	Ms Shalni Sanjana
Date Deposited:	22 Dec 2022 03:43
Last Modified:	22 Dec 2022 03:43
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/13852

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