Determination of selected pharmaceuticals and caffeine in sewage and seawater from Tromso/Norway with emphasis on ibuprofen and its metabolites

Selected pharmaceuticals, among them analgesics, beta-blockers and anti-depressants as well as caffeine, the antibacterial triclosan and the insect repellent N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide (DEET) were determined in different sewage samples (sewage treatment plants, hospital effluents) from Tromso/Norway and in seawater from Tromso-Sound, into which the sewage is discharged. While caffeine, triclosan, ibuprofen and its major metabolites hydroxy- and carboxyibuprofen were present in all sewage samples, additional pharmaceuticals were observed in sewage containing hospital effluents. Concentrations. were in the range of 20-293 mug/l (caffeine), 0.2-2.4 mug/l (triclosan) and 0.1-20 mug/l (Sigmaibuprofen + metabolites). In seawater, only caffeine (7-87 ng/l), DEET (0.4-13 ng/l) and ibuprofen + metabolites (sum concentration < LOQ-7.7 ng/l) were detected. Ibuprofen and its metabolites hydroxy- and carboxy-ibuprofen were quantified individually by use of the respective reference compounds. Relative amounts of the three compounds were determined in different types of water showing characteristic patterns, with hydroxy-ibuprofen being the major component in sewage whereas carboxy-ibuprofen was dominant in seawater samples. The patterns which were compared to those observed in similar samples from Germany indicated different transformation behaviour under limnic and marine conditions. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.