Occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in surface water of Johor, Malaysia

Abstract

The occurrence of 25 pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the surface waters of Johor Bahru, Malaysia was investigated. This study area was selected as there is a lack of environmental data in Johor, Malaysia on the suspected contamination of rivers by micropollutants known as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). River samples were obtained from 5 selected waterways, extracted with solid-phase extraction (SPE), and analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionisation (ESI). Most of the targeted compounds were detected in the river samples (76%). Acetaminophen, ametryn and carbamazepine were detected in all 25 sampling sites at mean concentrations of 228.3 ng/L, 29.2 ng/L, and 87.6 ng/L respectively. Other frequently detected compounds (FD > 80%) include atenolol, caffeine, DEET, diphenhydramine, gemfibrozil, metoprolol, naproxen, and perindopril at mean concentrations ranging 4.3–2235.5 ng/L. At a site in Kim Kim Tributary (KKT03), caffeine returned the highest concentration of 11,035 ng/L. However, amlodipine, fenobucarb, fluoxetine, gliclazide, and triclocarban were not detected in the river samples. Results from this FYP provides the first investigation on the occurrence of CECs in the urban waterways of Johor, Malaysia.