Use of Caffeine and Human Pharmaceutical Compounds to Identify Sewage Contamination
Fecal coliform bacteria are widely used as indicators of
sewage contamination in surface water. However, there are some
disadvantages in these microbial techniques including time consuming
(18-48h) and inability in discriminating between human and animal
fecal material sources. Therefore, it is necessary to seek a more
specific indicator of human sanitary waste. In this study, the feasibility
was investigated to apply caffeine and human pharmaceutical
compounds to identify the human-source contamination. The
correlation between caffeine and fecal coliform was also explored.
Surface water samples were collected from upstream, middle-stream
and downstream points respectively, along Rochor Canal, as well as 8
locations of Marina Bay. Results indicate that caffeine is a suitable
chemical tracer in Singapore because of its easy detection (in the range
of 0.30-2.0 ng/mL), compared with other chemicals monitored.
Relative low concentrations of human pharmaceutical compounds (<
0.07 ng/mL) in Rochor Canal and Marina Bay water samples make
them hard to be detected and difficult to be chemical tracer. However,
their existence can help to validate sewage contamination. In addition,
it was discovered the high correlation exists between caffeine
concentration and fecal coliform density in the Rochor Canal water
samples, demonstrating that caffeine is highly related to the
human-source contamination.
[1] I.J. Buerge, T. Poiger, M.D. M├╝ller, and H-R. Buser, "Caffeine, an
anthropogenic marker for wastewater contamination of surface waters,"
Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 37, pp. 691-700, 2003.
[2] C.L. Meays, K. Broersma, R. Nordin, A. Mazumder, "Source tracking
fecal bacteria in water: a critical review of current methods," Journal of
Environmental Management, vol. 73, pp. 71-79, 2004.
[3] K.G. Field, M. Samadpour, "Fecal source tracking, the indicator
paradigm, and managing water quality," Water Research, vol. 41, pp.
3517-3538, 2007.
[4] R.L. Seiler, S.D. Zaugg, J.M. Thomas, D.L. Howcroft, "Caffeine and
pharmaceuticals as indicators of waste water contamination in wells,"
Ground Water, vol. 37, pp. 405-410, 1999.
[5] K.A. Peeler, S.P. Opsahl, J.P. ChantonI, "Tracking anthropogenic inputs
using caffeine, indicator bacteria, and nutrients in rural freshwater and
urban marine systems," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 40, pp. 7616-7622,
2006.
[6] M.J. Benotti, B.J. Brownawell, "Distributions of pharmaceuticals in an
urban estuary during both dry- and wet-weather conditions," Environ. Sci.
Technol., vol. 41, pp. 5795-5802, 2007.
[7] C. Maldonado, J. Dachs, J.M. Bayona, "Trialkylamines and coprostanol
as tracers of urban pollution in waters from enclosed seas: the
Mediterranean and black sea," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 33, pp.
3290-3296, 1999.
[8] K.O. Isobe, M. Tarao, M.P. Zakaria, N.H. Chiem, L.Y. Minh, H. Takada,
"Quantitative application of fecal sterols using gas-chromatography-mass
spectrometry to investigate fecal pollution in tropical waters: western
Malaysia and Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 36,
pp. 4497-4507, 2002.
[9] I.J. Buerge, T. Poiger, M.D. M├╝ller, H-R Buser, "Combined sewer
overflows to surface waters detected by the anthropogenic markers,"
Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 40, pp. 4096-4102, 2006.
[10] S.T. Glassmeyer, E.T. Furlong, D.W. Kolpin, J.D. Cahill, S.D. Zaugg,
S.L. Werner, M.T. Meyer, D.D. Kryak, "Transport of chemical and
microbial compounds from known wastewater discharges: potential for
use as indicators of human fecal contamination," Environ. Sci. Technol.,
vol. 39, pp. 5157-5169, 2005.
[11] P.D. Anderson, V.J. D-aco, P. Shanahan, S.C. Chapra, M.E. Buzby, V.L.
Cunningham, B.M. Duplessie, E.P. Hayes, F.J. Mastrocco, N.J. Parke,
J.C. Rader, J.H. Samuelian, B.W. Schwab, "Screening analysis of human
pharmaceutical compounds in U.S. Surface," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol.
38, pp. 838-849, 2004.
[12] C. Pratt, J. Warnken, R. Leeming, J.M. Arthur, D.I. Grice, "Detection of
intermittent sewage pollution in a subtropical oligotrophic, semi-enclosed
embayment system using sterol signatures in sediments," Environ. Sci.
Technol., vol. 41, pp. 792-802, 2007.
[1] I.J. Buerge, T. Poiger, M.D. M├╝ller, and H-R. Buser, "Caffeine, an
anthropogenic marker for wastewater contamination of surface waters,"
Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 37, pp. 691-700, 2003.
[2] C.L. Meays, K. Broersma, R. Nordin, A. Mazumder, "Source tracking
fecal bacteria in water: a critical review of current methods," Journal of
Environmental Management, vol. 73, pp. 71-79, 2004.
[3] K.G. Field, M. Samadpour, "Fecal source tracking, the indicator
paradigm, and managing water quality," Water Research, vol. 41, pp.
3517-3538, 2007.
[4] R.L. Seiler, S.D. Zaugg, J.M. Thomas, D.L. Howcroft, "Caffeine and
pharmaceuticals as indicators of waste water contamination in wells,"
Ground Water, vol. 37, pp. 405-410, 1999.
[5] K.A. Peeler, S.P. Opsahl, J.P. ChantonI, "Tracking anthropogenic inputs
using caffeine, indicator bacteria, and nutrients in rural freshwater and
urban marine systems," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 40, pp. 7616-7622,
2006.
[6] M.J. Benotti, B.J. Brownawell, "Distributions of pharmaceuticals in an
urban estuary during both dry- and wet-weather conditions," Environ. Sci.
Technol., vol. 41, pp. 5795-5802, 2007.
[7] C. Maldonado, J. Dachs, J.M. Bayona, "Trialkylamines and coprostanol
as tracers of urban pollution in waters from enclosed seas: the
Mediterranean and black sea," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 33, pp.
3290-3296, 1999.
[8] K.O. Isobe, M. Tarao, M.P. Zakaria, N.H. Chiem, L.Y. Minh, H. Takada,
"Quantitative application of fecal sterols using gas-chromatography-mass
spectrometry to investigate fecal pollution in tropical waters: western
Malaysia and Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 36,
pp. 4497-4507, 2002.
[9] I.J. Buerge, T. Poiger, M.D. M├╝ller, H-R Buser, "Combined sewer
overflows to surface waters detected by the anthropogenic markers,"
Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 40, pp. 4096-4102, 2006.
[10] S.T. Glassmeyer, E.T. Furlong, D.W. Kolpin, J.D. Cahill, S.D. Zaugg,
S.L. Werner, M.T. Meyer, D.D. Kryak, "Transport of chemical and
microbial compounds from known wastewater discharges: potential for
use as indicators of human fecal contamination," Environ. Sci. Technol.,
vol. 39, pp. 5157-5169, 2005.
[11] P.D. Anderson, V.J. D-aco, P. Shanahan, S.C. Chapra, M.E. Buzby, V.L.
Cunningham, B.M. Duplessie, E.P. Hayes, F.J. Mastrocco, N.J. Parke,
J.C. Rader, J.H. Samuelian, B.W. Schwab, "Screening analysis of human
pharmaceutical compounds in U.S. Surface," Environ. Sci. Technol., vol.
38, pp. 838-849, 2004.
[12] C. Pratt, J. Warnken, R. Leeming, J.M. Arthur, D.I. Grice, "Detection of
intermittent sewage pollution in a subtropical oligotrophic, semi-enclosed
embayment system using sterol signatures in sediments," Environ. Sci.
Technol., vol. 41, pp. 792-802, 2007.
@article{"International Journal of Medical, Medicine and Health Sciences:57542", author = "Jingming Wu and Junqi Yue and Ruikang Hu and Zhaoguang Yang and Lifeng Zhang", title = "Use of Caffeine and Human Pharmaceutical Compounds to Identify Sewage Contamination", abstract = "Fecal coliform bacteria are widely used as indicators of
sewage contamination in surface water. However, there are some
disadvantages in these microbial techniques including time consuming
(18-48h) and inability in discriminating between human and animal
fecal material sources. Therefore, it is necessary to seek a more
specific indicator of human sanitary waste. In this study, the feasibility
was investigated to apply caffeine and human pharmaceutical
compounds to identify the human-source contamination. The
correlation between caffeine and fecal coliform was also explored.
Surface water samples were collected from upstream, middle-stream
and downstream points respectively, along Rochor Canal, as well as 8
locations of Marina Bay. Results indicate that caffeine is a suitable
chemical tracer in Singapore because of its easy detection (in the range
of 0.30-2.0 ng/mL), compared with other chemicals monitored.
Relative low concentrations of human pharmaceutical compounds (<
0.07 ng/mL) in Rochor Canal and Marina Bay water samples make
them hard to be detected and difficult to be chemical tracer. However,
their existence can help to validate sewage contamination. In addition,
it was discovered the high correlation exists between caffeine
concentration and fecal coliform density in the Rochor Canal water
samples, demonstrating that caffeine is highly related to the
human-source contamination.", keywords = "Caffeine, Human Pharmaceutical Compounds,Chemical Tracer, Sewage Contamination.", volume = "2", number = "8", pages = "293-5", }