Hospital effluents as a source of gadolinium in the aquatic environment
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Hospital effluents as a source of gadolinium in the aquatic environment. / Kümmerer, Klaus; Helmers, Eckard.
In: Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 34, No. 4, 15.02.2000, p. 573-577.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Hospital effluents as a source of gadolinium in the aquatic environment
AU - Kümmerer, Klaus
AU - Helmers, Eckard
PY - 2000/2/15
Y1 - 2000/2/15
N2 - Total annual Gd emission of a hospital offering a maximum spectrum medical services using Gd complexes in magnetic resonance imaging was computed and independently measured by ICP/MS. The Gd emission was between 2.1 and 42 kg per year, yielding a theoretical concentration of 8.5-30.1 μg per L in the hospital's effluent. Gd concentrations measured on different days were below detection limit (1 μg per L) and 55 μg per L, and annual average concentrations were between 10.5 and 20.5 μg per L as calculated from analytical results, water flow, and total water consumption. The concentrations in the influent of the municipal sewage treatment plant (STP) receiving the effluent were always below detection limit indicating that there was no other major discharge of Gal. Based on consumption data, total Gd input by German hospitals is estimated to be roughly 132 kg per year. An elevation of the natural concentration of Gd in German surface waters by 0.003-0.004 μg per L will result from this amount, if there is no elimination in sewage treatment plants. Using the number of MRI apparatus used in Germany the annual emission by hospitals is 484 and 1160 kg by hospitals and practices, resulting in an additional Gd concentration in German surface water of 0.011 and 0.026 μg per L, respectively. Therefore, the emission of Gd compounds used in magnetic resonance imaging have to be considered as one source among others of anthropogenic Gd anomaly in surface waters.
AB - Total annual Gd emission of a hospital offering a maximum spectrum medical services using Gd complexes in magnetic resonance imaging was computed and independently measured by ICP/MS. The Gd emission was between 2.1 and 42 kg per year, yielding a theoretical concentration of 8.5-30.1 μg per L in the hospital's effluent. Gd concentrations measured on different days were below detection limit (1 μg per L) and 55 μg per L, and annual average concentrations were between 10.5 and 20.5 μg per L as calculated from analytical results, water flow, and total water consumption. The concentrations in the influent of the municipal sewage treatment plant (STP) receiving the effluent were always below detection limit indicating that there was no other major discharge of Gal. Based on consumption data, total Gd input by German hospitals is estimated to be roughly 132 kg per year. An elevation of the natural concentration of Gd in German surface waters by 0.003-0.004 μg per L will result from this amount, if there is no elimination in sewage treatment plants. Using the number of MRI apparatus used in Germany the annual emission by hospitals is 484 and 1160 kg by hospitals and practices, resulting in an additional Gd concentration in German surface water of 0.011 and 0.026 μg per L, respectively. Therefore, the emission of Gd compounds used in magnetic resonance imaging have to be considered as one source among others of anthropogenic Gd anomaly in surface waters.
KW - aquatic
KW - aquatic environment
KW - Chemical
KW - CHLORIDE
KW - COMPLEXES
KW - COMPOUND
KW - concentration
KW - CONSUMPTION
KW - DC
KW - detection
KW - effluent
KW - EFFLUENTS
KW - elimination
KW - Emission
KW - ENVIRONMENT
KW - GADODIAMIDE
KW - Gadolinium
KW - GADOPENTETATE DIMEGLUMINE
KW - GD
KW - Gd anomaly
KW - GERMANY
KW - hospital
KW - hospital effluent
KW - hospital effluents
KW - HOSPITALS
KW - INJECTION
KW - Krankenhaus
KW - MAGNETIC-RESONANCE
KW - MRI
KW - MUNICIPAL SEWAGE
KW - PLANT
KW - PLANTS
KW - PLASMA
KW - RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS
KW - RAT
KW - RESONANCE
KW - sewage
KW - sewage treatment
KW - sewage treatment plant
KW - sewage treatment plants
KW - SEWAGE-TREATMENT
KW - SPECTRA
KW - STP
KW - SURFACE
KW - surface water
KW - SURFACE WATERS
KW - SURFACE-WATER
KW - treatment
KW - TREATMENT PLANTS
KW - TREATMENT-PLANT
KW - USA
KW - WATER
KW - WATERS
KW - Chemistry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0343049179&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/es990633h
DO - 10.1021/es990633h
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 34
SP - 573
EP - 577
JO - Environmental Science & Technology
JF - Environmental Science & Technology
SN - 0013-936X
IS - 4
ER -