Naproxen

The pervasive presence of drugs in aquatic environments has emerged as a pressing global issue, with hospital wastewater (HWW) recognized as a significant pollution source. This study evaluates the occurrence, removal efficiency, and environmental risks of 21 common pharmaceuticals or their metabolites in HWW. The 21 compounds included opioids, methylxanthines, β-blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antihistamines, β-adrenoceptor agonists, phenylethylamines, benzodiazepines, organic amine compounds, neuraminidase inhibitors, and amide local anesthetics. Additionally, the contribution of HWW discharges to the influent concentrations of downstream wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was assessed. In HWW, opioid concentrations varied from 0 ng/L to 7263 ng/L (tramadol) in influent samples and from 0 ng/L to 4163 ng/L (tramadol) in effluent samples. NSAID concentrations in the hospital influents ranged from 0 ng/L to 47,299 ng/L (acetaminophen), while effluent concentrations ranged from 0 ng/L to 58,520 ng/L (acetaminophen). Other compounds ranged from 0 ng/L to 11,956 ng/L (caffeine) in influents and from 0 ng/L to 10,804 ng/L (caffeine) in effluents. Removal efficiencies for various compounds ranged from negative values to 100 %, with significant variability across hospitals and compound types. Opioid removal varied between -49.63 % (pethidine) and 100 %. For NSAIDs, the range was -28.08 % (naproxen) to 100 %. Other compounds exhibited removal efficiencies spanning from -37.90 % (methoxyphenamine) to 100 %. These findings underscore the ineffectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment processes in removing pharmaceutical contaminants. The overall contribution of the HWW effluent to downstream WWTPs drugs loads varied significantly. Opioid contributions ranged from 0 % to 69.46 % (tramadol), while NSAIDs contributions ranged from 0 % to 12.12 % (acetaminophen). Other compounds showed contributions ranging from 0 % to 18.58 % (lidocaine). Environmental risk assessments indicated that four compounds posed high-risk, three presented moderate-risk and fourteen constituted low-risk. This study aims to improve HWW control in China and reduce uncertainties in drug-related early warning systems, thereby supporting broader anti-drug initiatives.

Carbamazepine is a versatile pharmaceutical used mainly for epilepsy and mood stabilization, but like all medications, it requires careful monitoring due to its potential side effects and interactions. In the current work, a fluorescent nanosensor was developed for the carbamazepine determination in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC). The nanosensor consists of graphene quantum dots doped with copper (Cu-doped GQDs). The presence of carbamazepine significantly decreased the fluorescence of Cu-doped GQDs, resulting in a quenching effect within a concentration range of 0.02-2.0 µg/mL, which occurs due to dynamic, rather than static, quenching according to Stern-Volmer plot. The relative standard deviations for intra-day and inter-day analysis of carbamazepine were 1.8 % and 4.8 %, respectively. The validated sensor was effectively employed for carbamazepine analysis in EBC of patients receiving the drug.