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

Abstract

Selected pharmaceuticals, among them analgesics, ß-blockers and anti-depressants as well as caffeine, the anti-bacterial triclosan and the insect repellent N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide (DEET) were determined in different sewage samples (sewage treatment plants, hospital effluents) from Tromsø/Norway and in seawater from Tromsø-Sound, into which the sewage is discharged. While caffeine, triclosan, ibuprofen and its major metabolites hydroxy- and carboxy-ibuprofen were present in all sewage samples, additional pharmaceuticals were observed in sewage containing hospital effluents. Concentrations were in the range of 20-293 μg/l (caffeine), 0.2-2.4 μg/l (triclosan) and 0.1-20 μg/l (∑ibuprofen+metabolites). In seawater, only caffeine (7-87 ng/l), DEET (0.4-13 ng/l) and ibuprofen+metabolites (sum concentration