The fate and occurrence of pharmaceuticals in Cape Town’s water network

Abstract

Thousands of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and microplastics are consumed and disposed of directly or indirectly into various water bodies globally. Which are collectively termed “contaminants of emerging concern” or CECs. Contaminants of emerging concerns are defined as micropollutants that are present in the environment that are not regulated and that can pose a risk to the health of both humans and wildlife. The distribution of these CECs in water systems is not isolated to a specific place and is on the rise all over the world. This study aims to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of pharmaceuticals in the environment regarding the change in concentration along a flow path from potential sources to sink, to assess the occurrence, concentration levels and distribution of pharmaceuticals in various water bodies.