Estimation of community-wide multi-chemical exposure via water-based chemical mining: Key research gaps drawn from a comprehensive multi-biomarker multi-city dataset

Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Kathryn Proctor, Kishore Jagadeesan, Luigi Lopardo, Kieran J. O'Daly, Richard Standerwick, Ruth Barden

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

This paper explores the strong potential of chemical mining of wastewater for markers of community-wide intake of wide-ranging harmful chemicals belonging to several usage groups: industrial chemicals, personal care products, pesticides, illicit drugs, lifestyle chemicals and prescription pharmaceuticals as a proxy for multi-chemical community-wide exposure. An estimation of chemical intake in five contrasting town/cities based in the Avon River catchment in the South-West UK was undertaken. High-resolution spatiotemporal pharmaceutical prescription databases were used for system calibration, both in terms of biomarker selection and its correction factor, as well as for the overall system performance evaluation, both spatially and temporality. Only metabolism data accounting for phase two metabolism provided correct estimates of pharma intake. Using parent compounds as XCRs (xenobiotic compounds residue) was found to overestimate exposure due to an inclusion of directly disposed (unused) drugs. Spatiotemporal trends in XC intake were observed as a result of occupational exposure (higher bisphenol A (BPA) intake during weekday), and lifestyle choices (higher cocaine and pyrethroid pesticides intake during weekend). WBE is not intended to estimate individual exposure to chemicals. It can however provide estimates at a community level, and as a result, it has the potential to be developed into an early warning system, a powerful tool for large scale screening studies identifying communities at risk and in need of high resolution individual testing at a localised scale.

Original languageEnglish
Article number106331
JournalEnvironment International
Volume147
Early online date30 Dec 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Feb 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The support of Wessex Water Services Ltd and EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (Project number: EP/ K503897/1 and EP/R51164X/1 , ENTRUST IAA) is greatly appreciated. The support of the Leverhulme Trust (Project No RPG-2013-297) is also greatly appreciated. All data supporting this study are provided as supporting information accompanying this paper, as well as in Proctor et al. SI ( Proctor et al., 2021 ).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s)

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Funding

The support of Wessex Water Services Ltd and EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (Project number: EP/ K503897/1 and EP/R51164X/1 , ENTRUST IAA) is greatly appreciated. The support of the Leverhulme Trust (Project No RPG-2013-297) is also greatly appreciated. All data supporting this study are provided as supporting information accompanying this paper, as well as in Proctor et al. SI ( Proctor et al., 2021 ).

Keywords

  • Chemical mining
  • Human exposure
  • Wastewater-based epidemiology
  • Water fingerprinting
  • WBE

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Environmental Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Estimation of community-wide multi-chemical exposure via water-based chemical mining: Key research gaps drawn from a comprehensive multi-biomarker multi-city dataset'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this