RESUMO
In this work, the presence of 20 pharmaceuticals in wastewater from Colombia is investigated. Several widely consumed compounds have been detected in wastewater samples from different origins and geographical areas in Colombia. The studied pharmaceuticals included antibiotics, analgesics and anti-inflammatories, cholesterol lowering statin drugs, lipid regulators, and anti-depressants. The investigated samples were urban wastewater collected during one whole week before (influent) and after treatment (effluent) in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of Bogotá and Medellin. Raw wastewater from the Hospital of Tumaco and from the city of Florencia were also collected. Analyses performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed that most of the target analytes were present in all the wastewater samples. The highest concentrations (up to 50⯵g/L) corresponded to acetaminophen, but several antibiotics, such as azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, and antihypertensive drugs, such as losartan and valsartan, were commonly present in influent wastewater (IWW) at levels above 1⯵g/L. Moreover, the treatment applied in WWTPs seemed to not efficiently remove the compounds under study, because most pharmaceuticals were also present in effluent wastewater (EWW) at concentrations close to those of the IWW. Special emphasis was made in this work on the quality of data reported, performing a detailed study of quality control (QC) samples. The analytical approach used -direct injection of 5-fold diluted samples without any additional treatment - is simpler and faster than the commonly applied solid phase extraction (SPE). The use of 12 isotope-labelled internal standards ensured the satisfactory correction of matrix effects for the corresponding analytes. For the remaining 8 compounds, no drastic matrix effects were observed, and only four compounds (cloxacillin, doxycycline, losartan, tetracycline) presented QC recoveries near or slightly below 60%, revealing ionization suppression, particularly in the IWW. Data on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals reported in this paper are the basis for current studies that aim to develop efficient systems for the degradation/removal of these compounds from the aquatic environment.
Assuntos
Preparações Farmacêuticas/análise , Eliminação de Resíduos Líquidos/métodos , Águas Residuárias/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Cidades , Colômbia , Monitoramento Ambiental , Extração em Fase Sólida , Espectrometria de Massas em TandemRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: During the last years, International adoption has increased significantly in our country over the last few years. China, Russia, Colombia and Ethiopia represent 77% of international adoptions in Spain. Cognitive and behavioural aspects are very important for an adequate social, family and school integration of these children. OBJECTIVE: To describe the neuropsychological profiles of a group of internationally adopted children in Catalonia from China, Russia, Colombia and Ethiopia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Neuropsychological examination of 49 children from international adoption (6 of Chinese origin, 24 from Russia, 13 from Colombia and 6 of Ethiopian origin). RESULTS: The group of Chinese origin obtained average scores of all functions evaluated. The Russian origin group was below the average for, selective attention, phonetic verbal fluency, control of impulsivity, mechanics and reading comprehension, and spelling. Scores on the impulse control in the Colombian origin group were below average. The group of Ethiopian origin obtained average scores in all functions evaluated except for spelling difficulties. CONCLUSION: Children adopted from Russia have greater neuropsychological difficulties than the others. Most pre-adoption history is unknown; therefore we are unable to determine the origin of these difficulties. Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the institutional environment could be influencing factors in neuropsychological delay. Inclusion of neuropsychological assessment in health protocols for these children is recommended if they develop suggestive signs of cognitive and/or behavioral impairment.