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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356028
Title: Occurrence, concentrations, and risks of pharmaceutical compounds in private wells in Central Pennsylvania

Author
item KIBUYE, FAITH - Pennsylvania State University
item Elkin, Kyle
item GALL, HEATHER - Pennsylvania State University
item SWISTOCK, BRYAN - Pennsylvania State University
item WATSON, JOHN - Pennsylvania State University
item Veith, Tameria - Tamie
item ELLIOTT, HERSCHEL - Pennsylvania State University

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2019
Publication Date: 7/1/2019
Citation: Kibuye, F.A., Elkin, K.R., Gall, H.E., Swistock, B., Watson, J.E., Veith, T.L., Elliott, H.A. 2019. Occurrence, concentrations, and risks of pharmaceutical compounds in private wells in Central Pennsylvania. Journal of Environmental Quality. 48:1057-1066. https://dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2018.08.0301.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2018.08.0301

Interpretive Summary: Pharmaceuticals, including both over-the-counter and prescription medications, are classified as pollutants of emerging concern. They have the potential to create environmental and potential human health impacts, especially when they are present in drinking water. Private wells are important drinking water sources globally, but remain understudied. Groundwater from private wells typically undergo minimal onsite drinking water treatment before use, making its use as a drinking water source particularly vulnerable to contamination. The goal of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of seven pharmaceuticals in private wells located in central Pennsylvania and to assess potential human health impacts from those pharmaceuticals. At least one pharmaceutical compound was detected in each well sample, with ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and caffeine being both the most frequently detected and present at the highest concentrations. The findings suggest that while nearby septic systems may act as a source of pharmaceuticals to groundwater, risk calculations based on the measured concentrations have a minimal human health risk. However, more frequent monitoring of these systems may be desired to better understand long-term impacts and risks to private wells from pharmaceuticals deposited into nearby septic systems.

Technical Abstract: Over-the-counter and prescription medications are routinely present at detectable levels in surface and groundwater bodies. The presence of these emerging contaminants has raised both environmental and public health concerns, particularly when the water is used for drinking water. However, the frequency of occurrence, range of concentrations, and potential human health risks are not well understood, especially for groundwater supplies. Private wells are often not tested for contaminants regulated by drinking water standards and are even less frequently tested for emerging contaminants. By partnering with the Pennsylvania Master Well Owner Network, water samples were collected from 26 households with private wells in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River Basin in central Pennsylvania in winter 2017. All samples were analyzed for seven pharmaceuticals: acetaminophen, ampicillin, caffeine, naproxen, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. At least one compound was detected at 96% of the sites. Results from the groundwater wells were compared to nearby surface water samples and were found to be higher in the groundwater. A simple modeling approach based on the physicochemical parameters of the pharmaceuticals provided insight into the differences in frequency of detection for the selected pharmaceuticals, with ofloxacin and naproxen the most and least frequently detected compounds, respectively. Additionally, risk calculations were conducted and revealed that none of the concentrations observed in the groundwater wells posed significant human health risk, suggesting that although septic tanks may act as contaminant sources in forested landscapes, the impacts from trace-level pharmaceuticals that may be present are likely minimal.