Determinação de fármacos nos rios Atuba, Belém e Palmital

Abstract

A wide variety of contaminants, including drugs, are continuously released into the aquatic environment. Untreated domestic wastewater and effluents from sewage treatment plants are well known to be a possible source of drugs and other contaminants in the water system. In natural waters such drugs are classified as micropollutants, substances which even in low concentrations in the ng. L-1, are suspected of causing any harmful effect on living organisms. The objective of this work it was to realize validation of methodology for check its efficiency in determining the paracetamol, diclofenac, ibuprofen and fenoprofen in three tributaries of Upper Iguaçu basin. The samples was submitted to the extraction process in solid phase and analyzed by high efficient liquid chromatography (HPLC). To perform the validation of the methodology employed were used the standards set by the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. The method for the quantification proved to be efficient for the determination of these analytes in water samples. Paracetamol was detected with greater frequency and higher concentrations (14,701 µg.L-1); fenoprofen was the only compound not detected, probably due to the low consumption of this anti-inflammatory by the population. The results of this study indicate large human influence, mainly due to the presence of domestic sewage and prove the tributaries of Upper Iguaçu basin is contaminated with emerging compounds.