Carbamazepine and degradation by products in waters
Résumé
Carbamazepine, as antiepileptic drug is well-known as anthropic pollutant in waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent as well as in surface and ground waters.
Together with this widespread compound, different studies highlight the occurrence of several degradation products. But origins of the degradation products (degradation in WWTP, in surface water or soil, etc…) are more or less elucidated, due to few works considering all compartments in the same study.
In this work we have considered an alluvial plain impacted by several WWTP, with well-known connections between ground and surface waters. Influent and effluent of main WWTP stations were analyzed monthly to well characterize the pollution sources. Two sampling campaigns have been undertaken for simultaneous spot sampling of groundwater, surface waters and effluents. In each case, carbamazepine and its main metabolites (10,11 dihydro 10 hydroxy-carbamazepine, 2-hydroxy-carbamazepine, 10,11 epoxide- carbamazepine) and oxcarbazepine were analyzed. In parallel, High Resolution Mass Spectrometric (HRMS) analysis was applied to screen for unexpected degradation by-products.
High persistency of carbamazepine and its main degradation products can be highlighted during wastewater treatments, combined with low level of detection and concentration in the watershed. HRMS data give useful information concerning occurrence of unexpected compounds, which allow a better understanding of carbamazepine’s fate and behavior.