EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE PRESENCE OF MICROPOLLUTANTS IN THE URBAN WATER CYCLE IN COLOMBIA: SANTIAGO DE CALI CASE STUDY

Micropollutants includes a wide variety of compounds in environmental concentrations of mu g/L or ng/L. The presence and concentration of micropollutants, as pharmaceutical and endocrine disruptors compounds, were studied throughout the urban water cycle of Santiago de Cali city, Colombia. In order to do this, samples were collected in four points of surface water, three of drinking water and one of wastewater. Five samplings were carried out: one screening with 92 compounds measured, classified in five pharmaceutical compounds groups (I, II, III, IV and V) and one endocrine disruptors group (ED), from which three groups were selected to be measured in the following four samplings. Under criteria of occurrence, concentration, environmental effects and financial support; the I, IV and ED groups were selected, with occurrence higher than 48 % and mean concentration up to 11 000 ng/L. In terms of occurrence and concentration, the compounds 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine, ibuprofen, naproxen, gemfibrozilo, paracetamol, sulfamethoxazole, estrone, 4-iso-nonylphenol and bisphenol A were relevant. The occurrence in urban water cycle of Cali provides a warning due to the potential threat to aquatic organism and human health.