Mass load and source apportionment of pharmaceutical and personal care product in the Wuhan section of the Yangtze River, China

Given the limited research on pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the Wuhan section of the Yangtze River (WYR), this work investigated the distribution of 15 PPCPs in this region, assessed their ecological risks and annual fluxes. It was further to analyze the levels of indicator sucralose in the WYR to understand the sources of PPCPs. The results showed the average concentrations were 143.9 ± 76.77 ng/L, 3.98 ± 3.89 ng/g, and 8.14 ± 18.91 ng/g for 15 PPCPs in surface water, sediment, and soil, respectively. Among those PPCPs, bisphenol-A was the dominant compound found across the three environmental media. Significant amounts of ibuprofen and caffeine were detected in surface water, which may be linked to the increased demand for these compounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the concentrations of synthetic estrogens (bisphenol-A and 4-nonylphenol) were higher than those of natural estrogens (estrone, 17β-estradiol, and estriol). Due to runoff dilution, climatic factors (rainfall and sunlight), and prevalence of disease, PPCPs in water showed significant seasonal variation, with higher total concentrations in dry season than those in wet and normal seasons. Spatially, higher concentrations of PPCPs were found in the middle reaches of the WYR due to the population density.Our study estimated the annual flux of 15 PPCPs in the WYR to be 71.17 tons. Source analysis revealed that untreated domestic wastewater might be discharged into the WYR during the wet season. The ecological risk of PPCPs in the WYR were generally low, with only E2 and E3 categorized as posing moderate to high risks. These findings provided valuable support for the management and control of PPCPs in the WYR.