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.

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@article{42aebb0e84ae4eec89e081c12024ef3b,
title = "Hospital effluents as a source of gadolinium in the aquatic environment",
abstract = "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.",
keywords = "aquatic, aquatic environment, Chemical, CHLORIDE, COMPLEXES, COMPOUND, concentration, CONSUMPTION, DC, detection, effluent, EFFLUENTS, elimination, Emission, ENVIRONMENT, GADODIAMIDE, Gadolinium, GADOPENTETATE DIMEGLUMINE, GD, Gd anomaly, GERMANY, hospital, hospital effluent, hospital effluents, HOSPITALS, INJECTION, Krankenhaus, MAGNETIC-RESONANCE, MRI, MUNICIPAL SEWAGE, PLANT, PLANTS, PLASMA, RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS, RAT, RESONANCE, sewage, sewage treatment, sewage treatment plant, sewage treatment plants, SEWAGE-TREATMENT, SPECTRA, STP, SURFACE, surface water, SURFACE WATERS, SURFACE-WATER, treatment, TREATMENT PLANTS, TREATMENT-PLANT, USA, WATER, WATERS, Chemistry",
author = "Klaus K{\"u}mmerer and Eckard Helmers",
year = "2000",
month = feb,
day = "15",
doi = "10.1021/es990633h",
language = "English",
volume = "34",
pages = "573--577",
journal = "Environmental Science & Technology",
issn = "0013-936X",
publisher = "ACS Publications",
number = "4",

}

RIS

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 -

DOI