Impacts of Comorbidity and Mental Shock on Organic Micropollutants in Surface Water During and After the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Wuhan (2019–2021), China
Jian Zhao,
Jin Kang,
Xiaofeng Cao,
Rui Bian,
Gang Liu,
Shengchao Hu,
Xinghua Wu,
Chong Li,
Dianchang Wang,
Weixiao Qi,
Cunrui Huang,
Huijuan Liu,
Jiuhui Qu
Affiliations
Jian Zhao
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Jin Kang
Hubei Provincial Research Institute of Environmental Science, Wuhan 430072, China
Xiaofeng Cao
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Rui Bian
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Gang Liu
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
Shengchao Hu
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Xinghua Wu
China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan 430010, China
Chong Li
China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan 430010, China
Dianchang Wang
China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan 430010, China
Weixiao Qi
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Corresponding author.
Cunrui Huang
Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Huijuan Liu
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Jiuhui Qu
Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
The first pandemic wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced a considerable increase in several antivirals and antibiotics in surface water. The common symptoms of COVID-19 are viral and bacterial infections, while comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and diabetes) and mental shock (e.g., insomnia and anxiety) are nonnegligible. Nevertheless, little is known about the long-term impacts of comorbidities and mental shock on organic micropollutants (OMPs) in surface waters. Herein, we monitored 114 OMPs in surface water and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Wuhan, China, between 2019 and 2021. The pandemic-induced OMP pollution in surface water was confirmed by significant increases in 26 OMP concentrations. Significant increases in four antihypertensives and one diabetic drug suggest that the treatment of comorbidities may induce OMP pollution. Notably, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) increased 155 times to 187 ng·L−1, which might be associated with increased smoking. Additionally, the increases in zolpidem and sulpiride might be the result of worsened insomnia and depression. Hence, it is reasonable to note that mental-health protecting drugs/behavior also contributed to OMP pollution. Among the observed OMPs, telmisartan, lopinavir, and ritonavir were associated with significantly higher ecological risks because of their limited WWTP-removal rate and high ecotoxicity. This study provides new insights into the effects of comorbidities and mental shock on OMPs in surface water during a pandemic and highlights the need to monitor the fate of related pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and to improve their removal efficiencies in WWTPs.
