Characterization of human activity impacts on the quality of the water resource in urban sub-saharan africa : study of pesticide and pharmaceutical contamination of the Méfou watershed (Cameroon, Center Region)

En Afrique Sub-Saharienne, les problématiques de contamination de la ressource en eau par les pesticides et les résidus pharmaceutiques commencent à être mises en évidence. La problématique de la thèse porte sur la caractérisation de l’impact des activités humaines sur la qualité de la ressource en eau, par l’étude de la contamination par les pesticides et les résidus pharmaceutiques. Le site d’étude choisi est le bassin versant de la Méfou, qui draine la capitale du Cameroun, Yaoundé. Dans un premier temps, le site est caractérisé par ses spécificités environnementales (relief, occupation des sols) et sociodémographiques afin d’identifier les pressions anthropiques. Les pratiques d’agriculture urbaine, et en particulier le maraîchage intensif dans les bas-fonds entraîneraient l’utilisation massive de pesticides. L’absence d’assainissement efficace et les multiples latrines, drains et fosses septiques constitunt autant de sources diffuses de contamination par les résidus de médicaments. En prenant le cas des pesticides, une méthode cartographique a permis de confirmer l’hypothèse selon laquelle les parcelles agricoles pourraient être identifiées comme des sources de pollution diffuses de pesticides via le ruissellement. La méthode multicritère SIRIS-Pesticides de l’INERIS (Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques) appliquée sur deux scénarios de pratiques agricoles indique un potentiel transfert des pesticides ciblés vers les eaux de surface. Afin de conforter ces hypothèses, deux diagnostics de pollution ont été réalisés entre 2015 et 2018 en saisons pluvieuses, couplant des méthodes d’échantillonnages ponctuels et passifs. Une liste de 32 pesticides et de 24 résidus pharmaceutiques a été recherchée dans les eaux de surface et les eaux souterraines du bassin de la Méfou. Les résultats généraux indiquent (i) de fortes concentrations en herbicides et en anti-inflammatoires non stéroïdiens ainsi que la détection et la quantification d’une large gamme de composés recherchés, (ii) une contamination bien plus marquée en milieu urbain qu’en milieu péri-urbain, (iii) un risque environnemental à ces concentrations pour deux herbicides (diuron et atrazine) et (iv) la contamination de certains points d’eau souterraine (forages, puits, sources) par les résidus pharmaceutiques. Une enquête sociologique réalisée autour des points d’eau de prélèvement a permis d’identifier les enjeux liés à l’utilisation de cette ressource en eau. La contamination des eaux souterraines pourrait entraîner une exposition potentielle des populations aux résidus pharmaceutiques présents dans leur eau de boisson. Les résultats principaux constituent donc une base d’information sur les pressions anthropiques, les niveaux de contamination et les enjeux liés à l’eau à Yaoundé. Ils soulèvent des questionnements sur (i) les transferts des pesticides et des résidus médicamenteux dans l’hydrosystème de la Méfou, et (ii) à propos de l’exposition et des risques sanitaires potentiels posés par leur occurrence et leurs niveaux de contamination dans la ressource en eau.Demographic growth and urbanization create pressure on water resources. Among urban contaminants, pesticides and pharmaceuticals can be discharged into the aquatic environment through agricultural activities and untreated waste waters. Their presence is also reported in global water bodies. Measured contamination levels can have ecotoxicological effects on aquatic organisms as well as on human populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, these problems are beginning to be highlighted. Local agricultural practices and consumption of pharmaceuticals lead to specific concerns.The aim of this thesis is to identify and characterize the impacts of human activity on the quality of the water resource in urban Sub-Saharan Africa, by analyzing pesticide and pharmaceutical contamination. The study area was the Méfou watershed that drains the political capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé (Center Region).First, the study area was characterized by its environmental (reliefs, land use) and socio-demographic specificities to identify anthropogenic pressures. Urban agricultural practices and in particular the intensive market gardening in the humid lowlands involves the use of massive amounts of pesticides. The absence of a sewage system and the numerous pit-latrines, drains and septic tanks are the sources of diffuse pharmaceutical contamination.Using the example of pesticides, a contaminated runoff mapping method based on susceptibility maps (from the IRIP method) confirmed that some treated plots located in situations that favor runoff were sources of diffuse pesticide contamination. Several areas in the study basin can accumulate this polluted runoff. Next, the multi-criteria SIRIS-Pesticides method from INERIS was applied based on two agricultural scenarios constructed with data sources from the literature. Results pointed to the potential transfer of pesticides from crops to both surface and groundwater.To reinforce these hypotheses, two water quality surveys were conducted in the rainy season between 2015 and 2018, combining grab and passive sampling. Thirty-two pesticides and twenty-four pharmaceuticals were searched for in surface and groundwater in the Méfou watershed. The main results indicate that (i) high concentrations of herbicides and analgesics were detected and quantified in the water samples along with a wide range of targeted compounds; (ii) the contamination pattern showed that the urban area is more polluted than the peri-urban area of Yaoundé; (iii) the measured concentrations pose an environmental risk, in particular the herbicides atrazine and diuron; and (iv) some groundwater sampling points used for drinking water were contaminated by the targeted pharmaceuticals.A social survey conducted in March 2018 around the sampling points identified the risks related to water use. The lack of a sewage system and the discharge of untreated waste water into the immediate surroundings facilitate contamination of the sampling sites. As groundwater is used as an alternative to the tap water network in Yaoundé, the population is also exposed to the risk of pharmaceutically contaminated drinking water.The main results provide baseline information about anthropogenic pressures, contamination levels and related issues in Yaoundé. They raise questions about (i) the transfer of contaminants in the Méfou hydrosystem and (ii) population exposure and potential health risks due to their presence and to the levels of contamination of the water resources

Caractérisation de l’impact des activités humaines sur la qualité de la ressource en eau en milieu urbain sub-saharien : étude de la contamination du bassin versant de la Méfou (Région Centre du Cameroun) par les pesticides et les résidus pharmaceutiques

Demographic growth and urbanization create pressure on water resources. Among urban contaminants, pesticides and pharmaceuticals can be discharged into the aquatic environment through agricultural activities and untreated waste waters. Their presence is also reported in global water bodies. Measured contamination levels can have ecotoxicological effects on aquatic organisms as well as on human populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, these problems are beginning to be highlighted. Local agricultural practices and consumption of pharmaceuticals lead to specific concerns.The aim of this thesis is to identify and characterize the impacts of human activity on the quality of the water resource in urban Sub-Saharan Africa, by analyzing pesticide and pharmaceutical contamination. The study area was the Méfou watershed that drains the political capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé (Center Region).First, the study area was characterized by its environmental (reliefs, land use) and socio-demographic specificities to identify anthropogenic pressures. Urban agricultural practices and in particular the intensive market gardening in the humid lowlands involves the use of massive amounts of pesticides. The absence of a sewage system and the numerous pit-latrines, drains and septic tanks are the sources of diffuse pharmaceutical contamination.Using the example of pesticides, a contaminated runoff mapping method based on susceptibility maps (from the IRIP method) confirmed that some treated plots located in situations that favor runoff were sources of diffuse pesticide contamination. Several areas in the study basin can accumulate this polluted runoff. Next, the multi-criteria SIRIS-Pesticides method from INERIS was applied based on two agricultural scenarios constructed with data sources from the literature. Results pointed to the potential transfer of pesticides from crops to both surface and groundwater.To reinforce these hypotheses, two water quality surveys were conducted in the rainy season between 2015 and 2018, combining grab and passive sampling. Thirty-two pesticides and twenty-four pharmaceuticals were searched for in surface and groundwater in the Méfou watershed. The main results indicate that (i) high concentrations of herbicides and analgesics were detected and quantified in the water samples along with a wide range of targeted compounds; (ii) the contamination pattern showed that the urban area is more polluted than the peri-urban area of Yaoundé; (iii) the measured concentrations pose an environmental risk, in particular the herbicides atrazine and diuron; and (iv) some groundwater sampling points used for drinking water were contaminated by the targeted pharmaceuticals.A social survey conducted in March 2018 around the sampling points identified the risks related to water use. The lack of a sewage system and the discharge of untreated waste water into the immediate surroundings facilitate contamination of the sampling sites. As groundwater is used as an alternative to the tap water network in Yaoundé, the population is also exposed to the risk of pharmaceutically contaminated drinking water.The main results provide baseline information about anthropogenic pressures, contamination levels and related issues in Yaoundé. They raise questions about (i) the transfer of contaminants in the Méfou hydrosystem and (ii) population exposure and potential health risks due to their presence and to the levels of contamination of the water resources.En Afrique Sub-Saharienne, les problématiques de contamination de la ressource en eau par les pesticides et les résidus pharmaceutiques commencent à être mises en évidence. La problématique de la thèse porte sur la caractérisation de l’impact des activités humaines sur la qualité de la ressource en eau, par l’étude de la contamination par les pesticides et les résidus pharmaceutiques. Le site d’étude choisi est le bassin versant de la Méfou, qui draine la capitale du Cameroun, Yaoundé. Dans un premier temps, le site est caractérisé par ses spécificités environnementales (relief, occupation des sols) et sociodémographiques afin d’identifier les pressions anthropiques. Les pratiques d’agriculture urbaine, et en particulier le maraîchage intensif dans les bas-fonds entraîneraient l’utilisation massive de pesticides. L’absence d’assainissement efficace et les multiples latrines, drains et fosses septiques constitunt autant de sources diffuses de contamination par les résidus de médicaments. En prenant le cas des pesticides, une méthode cartographique a permis de confirmer l’hypothèse selon laquelle les parcelles agricoles pourraient être identifiées comme des sources de pollution diffuses de pesticides via le ruissellement. La méthode multicritère SIRIS-Pesticides de l’INERIS (Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques) appliquée sur deux scénarios de pratiques agricoles indique un potentiel transfert des pesticides ciblés vers les eaux de surface. Afin de conforter ces hypothèses, deux diagnostics de pollution ont été réalisés entre 2015 et 2018 en saisons pluvieuses, couplant des méthodes d’échantillonnages ponctuels et passifs. Une liste de 32 pesticides et de 24 résidus pharmaceutiques a été recherchée dans les eaux de surface et les eaux souterraines du bassin de la Méfou. Les résultats généraux indiquent (i) de fortes concentrations en herbicides et en anti-inflammatoires non stéroïdiens ainsi que la détection et la quantification d’une large gamme de composés recherchés, (ii) une contamination bien plus marquée en milieu urbain qu’en milieu péri-urbain, (iii) un risque environnemental à ces concentrations pour deux herbicides (diuron et atrazine) et (iv) la contamination de certains points d’eau souterraine (forages, puits, sources) par les résidus pharmaceutiques. Une enquête sociologique réalisée autour des points d’eau de prélèvement a permis d’identifier les enjeux liés à l’utilisation de cette ressource en eau. La contamination des eaux souterraines pourrait entraîner une exposition potentielle des populations aux résidus pharmaceutiques présents dans leur eau de boisson. Les résultats principaux constituent donc une base d’information sur les pressions anthropiques, les niveaux de contamination et les enjeux liés à l’eau à Yaoundé. Ils soulèvent des questionnements sur (i) les transferts des pesticides et des résidus médicamenteux dans l’hydrosystème de la Méfou, et (ii) à propos de l’exposition et des risques sanitaires potentiels posés par leur occurrence et leurs niveaux de contamination dans la ressource en eau

POCIS evidence Yaoundé’s rivers pesticides contamination.

International audienceYaoundé’s freshwater supply is crucial to the local population and to the production of crops in its humid lowlands [1]. However,contribution of agricultural activities on water pollution is likely to occur but has never been documented in Yaoundé. Thus, in situ physico-chemical measurements, passive (POCIS) and grab sampling [2][3] was deployed to monitor contamination from 32 polar pesticides in urban and peri-urban tropical watershed

Pharmaceuticals in the marine environment: What are the present challenges in their monitoring?

International audienceDuring the last years, there has been a growing interest in the research focused on the pharmaceutical residues in the environment. Those compounds have been recognized as a possible threat to aquatic ecosystems, due to their inherent biological activity and their “pseudo-persistence”. Their presence has been relatively few investigated in the marine environment, though it is the last receiver of the continental contamination. Thus, pharmaceuticals monitoring data in marine waters are necessary to assess water quality and to allow enhancing future regulations and management decisions. A review of the current practices and challenges in monitoring strategies of pharmaceuticals in marine matrices (water, sediment and biota) is provided through the analysis of the available recent scientific literature. Key points are highlighted for the different steps of marine waters monitoring as features to consider for the targeted substance selection, the choice of the marine site configuration and sampling strategies to determine spatio-temporal trends of the contamination. Some marine environment specific features, such as the strong dilution occurring, the complex hydrodynamic and local logistical constraints are making this monitoring a very difficult and demanding task. Thus key knowledge gap priorities for future research are identified and discussed. Suitable passive samplers to monitor pharmaceutical seawater levels need further development and harmonization. Non-target analysis approaches would be promising to understand the fate of the targeted molecules and to enhance the list of substances to analyze. The implementation of integrated monitoring through long-term ecotoxicological tests on sensitive marine species at environmental levels would permit to better assess the ecological risk of these compounds for the marine ecosystems

Polar pesticide contamination of an urban and peri-urban tropical watershed affected by agricultural activities (Yaoundé, Center Region, Cameroon)

(IF 2.91; Q1)International audienceUrban agriculture is crucial to local populations, but the risk of it contaminating water has rarely been documented. The aim of this study was to assess pesticide contamination of surface waters from the Méfou watershed (Yaoundé, Cameroon) by 32 selected herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides (mainly polar) according to their local application, using both grab sampling and polar organic compounds integrative samplers (POCIS). Three sampling campaigns were conducted in the March/April and October/November 2015 and June/July 2016 rainy seasons in urban and peri-urban areas. The majority of the targeted compounds were detected. The quantification frequencies of eight pesticides were more than 20% with both POCIS and grab sampling, and that of diuron and atrazine reached 100%. Spatial differences in contamination were evidenced with higher contamination in urban than peri-urban rivers. In particular, diuron was identified as an urban contaminant of concern because its concentrations frequently exceeded the European water quality guideline of 0.200 μg/L in freshwater and may thus represent an ecological risk due to a risk quotient > 1 for algae observed in 94% of grab samples. This study raises concerns about the impacts of urban agriculture on the quality of water resources and to a larger extent on the health of the inhabitants of cities in developing countries

Anthropic impacts on Sub-Saharan urban water resources through their pharmaceutical contamination (Yaoundé, Center Region, Cameroon)

(IF 6.55; Q1)International audienceSub-Saharan urban centers have to tackle high population growth, lack of sanitation infrastructures and the need for good quality water resources. To characterize the impacts of anthropization on the water resources of the capital of Cameroon (Yaoundé), a multi-disciplinary approach was used in ten sub-watersheds (peri-urban and urban) of the Méfou watershed. Pharmaceutical residues were used as tracers of surface and groundwater contamination caused by the release of domestic wastewater from pit latrines and landfills. A water use survey was conducted in the vicinity of the sampling sites to better assess water use, treatment and management. Available land use and hydro-geomorphological data completed characterization of the sub-watersheds. The combined data showed that natural features (elevation, slope, and hydrography) and human activities (land use) favor rainfall-runoff events and hence surface water contamination. Pharmaceutical monitoring revealed contamination of both surface and groundwater especially in the urban sub-watersheds. Analgesics/anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-epileptic carbamazepine were the most frequently found compounds (in up to 91% of water samples) with concentrations of acetaminophen reaching 5660 ng/L. In urban sub-watersheds, 50% of the groundwater sites used for drinking water were contaminated by diclofenac (476–518 ng/L), carbamazepine (263–335 ng/L), ibuprofen (141–276 ng/L), sulfamethoxazole (<2–1285 ng/L) and acetaminophen (110–111 ng/L), emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of the interactions between surface and groundwater. The use of groundwater as drinking water by 68% of the total population surveyed raises concerns about population exposure and potential health risks. This case study highlights the need for strategies to limit contamination of the water resource given the predicted future expansion of Sub-Saharan urban centers

Polar pesticide contamination of an urban and peri-urban tropical watershed affected by agricultural activities (Yaoundé, Center Region, Cameroon)

(IF 2.91; Q1)International audienceUrban agriculture is crucial to local populations, but the risk of it contaminating water has rarely been documented. The aim of this study was to assess pesticide contamination of surface waters from the Méfou watershed (Yaoundé, Cameroon) by 32 selected herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides (mainly polar) according to their local application, using both grab sampling and polar organic compounds integrative samplers (POCIS). Three sampling campaigns were conducted in the March/April and October/November 2015 and June/July 2016 rainy seasons in urban and peri-urban areas. The majority of the targeted compounds were detected. The quantification frequencies of eight pesticides were more than 20% with both POCIS and grab sampling, and that of diuron and atrazine reached 100%. Spatial differences in contamination were evidenced with higher contamination in urban than peri-urban rivers. In particular, diuron was identified as an urban contaminant of concern because its concentrations frequently exceeded the European water quality guideline of 0.200 μg/L in freshwater and may thus represent an ecological risk due to a risk quotient > 1 for algae observed in 94% of grab samples. This study raises concerns about the impacts of urban agriculture on the quality of water resources and to a larger extent on the health of the inhabitants of cities in developing countries