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Researchers at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Institut Català de Recerca de L'Aigua have developed a new method that allows simultaneous detection of up to 75 drugs in the water. The system, tested the waters of the Ebro basin during the years 2006 and 2007, addresses the need to monitor the presence of drugs in wastewater, according to the new Water Framework Directive of the European Union.

Specifically, researchers have analyzed the new method of water purification of seven of the Ebro basin during 2006 and 2007. The results show that the anti-inflammatory drugs are present, lipid regulators, beta blockers, antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, macrolides, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim; diuretics such as furosemide and antihypertensive. They also found remains of glibenclamide (for diabetes) and metronidazole. The levels of drugs are recorded in what is considered normal but have found more substances than in previous years, not because the waters are more contaminated, but because now we have a tool that can detect more compounds. In any case, the researchers plan to examine other areas of the Llobregat river and sewage treatment plants closer to Barcelona to complete the study.

The presence of drugs - considered emerging contaminants - in wastewater is one of the challenges in environmental monitoring, and that lead to rivers and lakes. Until now there was no legislation on it but the new European water framework directive ordered the progressive control of these pollutants, something which requires analysis tools and methodologies that allow detection of fast and reliable.

The new method is based on a combination of solid phase extraction, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, all technologies used in specialized laboratories. Its main advantage is its ability to detect up to 75 compounds simultaneously, which considerably accelerates the process of analysis. Furthermore, their reliability and high sensitivity to allow detection of drugs very low concentrations (up to 0.1 nanograms of drug per liter of water in the most extreme cases).

Among the many drugs that detects use of common analgesics and anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or codeine, psychiatric drugs such as diazepam or fluoxetine, antihistamines such as loratadine, antibiotics such as chloramphenicol or ciprofloxacin and beta-blockers such as pindolol or propanolol.

The new approach comes as part of a European project, Aquaterra, which aims to contribute to better understanding of river basin management, developing tools for its management and control. The project, with a duration of five years (June 2004-July 2009), with the participation of forty-five European institutions and analyzes five European river basins (Ebro, Danube, Elbe, Meuse and Breville).

The study was developed in the laboratories of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (formerly Institute of Chemical and Environmental Research of Barcelona), represents an important step to combat the pollution of surface and wastewater.

The article, published in Analytical Chemistry, is signed by researchers Damian Barceló, Mira Petrovic and Meritxell Gros.